Ayakashi's Hidden storm
by PhantomlikeGirl
Summary: Christopher wakes up to find that he is the sole survivor from a ship wreckage, hidden somewhere on the coast side inside a mansion belonging to a secretive young woman. But this woman is no ordinary one, for everyone seems to respect her out of sheer forcefulness. born in a world of the samurai and forced to return to the Western world, Kayo is not your orderly 18-century woman.
1. The survivor

1.

I opened my eyes to a dimly lit room. The air filled my lungs almost instantly, I sucking in the air, as if I had been deprived of it for a long time. I could feel the heaviness of the inner room I was in and I could see that there was a small light by the bedside. My hands were stiff from shoulders down and I could barely remember what I was doing there in the first place. I recalled nothing of how I had come to pass through this room at all.

I startled heavily when I sat up and there was a lightning crashing through the dark night clouds, a thunder rolling desperately between the blackness of the sky. I was wearing a sweat-drenched worn-out shirt and a pair of worn out pants, broken at places underneath an equally sweat-soaked blanket.

The windows by my right were large and pointing towards an agitated sea, and a darkened sky of storm and night. As a second thunder broke out and rolled in between the heavy clouds, the windows suddenly shook with weight and they were pushed wide open for the gush of strong wind to make flow through. It was so cold from the agitated sea, for the winds and the storm itself that I shivered visibly, breathing in the clean moist air and at the same time, one hand of mine tightened the grip around the collar, in an attempt to reduce the chilliness eating at my throat.

Lightning broke out again, followed by heavy blowing of the wind and I felt compelled to bring up the blanket, but I found myself unable to move out from the bed. Just then, I heard a banging noise coming from my left and as I turned around, I saw someone's figure by the entrance to the room. The hall from where this person came was lit up by candles, so I could see its shape perfectly well, a tall figure, with one hand against the door it pushed aside in order to commence through the room. it took one glance towards the widely open window, when it came running through towards them and grabbed them with both hands to push shut.

As both hands rejoined together, the door was shut and suddenly the room fell into quietness. I was breathing uneven and shaking slightly from the cold, while this person pushed further on so that the windows would be properly shut, even after the closing handle had been set well. The person stood quiet for a few seconds, during which I leaned on my back breathing hand.

There was a dim candle lit across the other side of the room, which gave it a golden-like colour and I could barely meet ends with the shape of things decorating the room. I saw this person moving slowly away from the window towards the other end of the bed, where the small candle stood. It was a surprise that under the heavy blowing of the wind, it did not die out.

The person moved with its back against me, but I could feel it moved quietly, like a feline. As it moved closer to the candle, it finally turned around, facing it and the candle lit up half of this person's face. I could see a light pale cheek, and one light brown eye pulping above the candle light. There was a mass of black hair following it.

This woman – as I saw it – looked at me quickly, before she blew in the candle putting it off. After this, she walked up to the entry door and did not shut it, but slipped outside without speaking.

I dropped over the bed gently and pulled the blanket over, tired from the sleep and the heaviness of everything.

2.

I opened my eyes to look around. It may have been mid-afternoon or some such timing, for there was light coming from the outer world through the shutoff large windows. They showed the picture of a serene ocean sea with the waves crashing against the cliffs to the north, harboring a tall functional lighthouse to guide any ships sailing astray.

I looked around the room. it was large and fairly decorated tastefully. There were wallpapers with drawings of large cranes either setting flight towards a hugely round orange circle signifying the sun, plastered onto the wall to the window side. There were strips and bamboo drawings accompanying the cranes, as if they embodied the margins of some classical painting and to the other side of the room, there was a large wallpaper with mythical creatures painted oddly. I'd seen this style before, during a very rare auction in England, long before I had turned into a man, and the masterpieces I'd seen then were of Asian style. They came from Japan and their style was very much similar to the style of wallpapers to this room. the walls were decorated to the fullest and only a large widely spread thick-paper made fan was hung opposite of the bedside. The furniture pieces looked old and well-built, decorated with motifs of Chinese dragons and Japanese peacock feathers.

There was a small Japanese paravan to the corner of the room, from which a few silk-like materials hung and it smelled of something close to cinnamon in the room.

The chandelier had been replaced with an ancient wooden-and-paper lantern which spread an eerie look about the room, as if I'd stepped into an old traditional Japanese house.

The bedroom was decorated with Western sheets and a few large pillows which I was resting my head on.

I tried imagining myself sitting up, but I could not feel my lower side of the body, from my waist down, and so I moved my head about a few times, before I suddenly heard a swing of sound coming from beyond the shut door. The sound reverberated slowly, gently, as if someone were playing on a mandolin, to a low, sacadated tone. Three tones were heard, two of which lower than the third, before the music began once more, slowly, dragging on until the fourth sound was brought on wrongly and it was left so that the string producing it was permitted to calm itself down. Someone seemed to practice, yet the sound had been placed wrongly under the context and now the person let the sound die out of its own.

And then I heard another sound. It was human and it took the shape of a word, a harsh one at that, unspoken in English. It sounded like a scolding, followed by a slow clap of skin and palm. After this, all drew in silence, until I heard a loud stumbling beyond the door. Finally, someone seemed to be stumbling around aimlessly until the door opened widely and a little girl came in through. As soon as she noticed me, she gasped and startled visibly, petrifying in sight.

'Oh!' she said.

She had long wavy blonde hair and she wore a light pink long dress. Her left cheek was a little more flushed than the other, but she looked tall and slim, and no younger than ten or so years of age.

I smiled gently. 'E-excuse me', she said and made a curtsy at me. 'H-hello.'

'Hello!'

She looked around confused, before she took a step forward and straightened herself calmly. 'Uh, uhm, I am Liesl.'

I nodded slowly. 'It is a pleasure to meet you, Liesl, I am called Christopher Chase, but friends would call me Chase.'

She brought forth both her hands and began rubbing them one against the other smiling childishly and then gradually, she came closer to the bedside. 'Miss says we should not call people by their nicknames unless we get to know them very well.'

'Is that so?' I smiled.

'Are you sick, Mr. Chase? May I call you Christopher? Are you a friend of Miss's?'

'You may call me by my given name, Liesl', I smiled gently to her. 'And as to who this…'

'Liesl!'

The voice came from out into the hall and as I startled and frowned, gazing in the direction of the half opened door, I could only see someone's shadow falling through the Asian rug settled in the room, as the person stood in the doorway, hidden from sight. The voice sounded female and low, as if angered or annoyed at best. Liesl turned her head towards the door and pressed both her lips together.

'Uhm, yes, Miss?'

'Come here, young lady!'

The voice had not been raised, but the tone was harsh and demanding, so the child took a few steps away from the bed guiltily. I frowned and spoke on her defense.

'It's perfectly alright. She was not disturbing me.'

Liesl looked at me confused and then at the woman behind the door. 'I'm sorry, Miss. I really didn't mean to disturb Mr. Chase, I really didn't.'

'Come from inside the room. Go downstairs now.'

'Who is there anyway?' I asked harshly, annoyed that someone would pick on a child for no apparent reason, as Liesl slipped through the gap at the door and ran off into the other chamber.

'It matters not who it is', the woman spoke. When she pulled the door to shut it, I said:

'Leave it open! You are not going to lock me in like a prisoner, are you?'

'Very well.'

'What is your name?'

But as she left the door open, the woman's steps walked away from the room. after a while, I heard the sounds of the strings once more, performing the same slow tone of voice, which to me felt sad, melancholic and remembering the time of sorrow and of pain. The instrument was strange and never heard before, yet I could assume that it would come from Asia, as so many of the things decorating this room.

I tried to move my hands through the blankets, setting them aside, yet I could see that I had been stripped of my lower side of the undergarments, from the knees down because of a large cut I had along the leg, now bandaged and well taken care of. I had not much knowledge of what had happened, but I do remember I had gone out to sea, farther and farther from the continent, in search for more sperm whale, and our ship had been attacked by misfortune of storm and then of pirates which had plundered it greatly. I probably must have drifted off to the course of the sea and must have ended up in this place, in this house, belonging to a woman – or so I believed. If only this child could have been permitted to spend some more time with me, then I would have easily questioned her and found out the source of my coming here.

My other leg suffered a great deal, bandaged as well, but I could still feel the muscle in it. Nevertheless, it was out of the question to move or even try to make a few steps out from the bed, so I realized I would be caught in between a period of time during which I would be idle.

Gradually, left alone in the room and listening to the music of the strings, which sounded professional and strange at the same time, I grew impatient and wanting or human company, as well as for food and something to drink.

I was not certain whether to call out or to stay in silence, so I waited until it would be too late to realize that I was thirsty, hungry and wanting for conversation. The weather gradually changed as well. It grew darker, colder and stranger. Soon enough, I could hear the footsteps of Liesl before, climbing up the stairs and appearing in the doorway. She looked shy, but smiled when I smiled to her.

'Hello again!' she said shyly.

'Hello.'

'I will need to leave now, but I asked Miss if I can say Goodbye to you, Christopher.'

'Yes. And I think you should also add to your Miss or whoever this lady is that I am terribly hungry and thirsty and that she should do well to feed her guests and check upon them once in a while.'

I was only joking with her, but as she came closer, Liesl changed her glance towards me. 'Oh, it's terrible if you're hungry, I know just how sick I get if I haven't had my supper! Goodbye to you, Christopher. May I kiss you on the cheek?'

'Yes, you can. Goodbye, Liesl.'

I was amused by the sweetness of the child, especially when she tip-toed to press her soft lips over my cheek and then she sprinted out from the room. I breathed in watched the room grow colder and lonelier than before.

I rubbed my hands against my legs and as soon as I heard a few footsteps in the hallway, I raised my voice: 'Will someone come in this room to speak to me?!'

The person stopped in the hallway and a few seconds passed before I heard the same female voice from before. 'I will send for someone.'

'You will do fine! Come inside.'

And then she took a step inside and I could see the swing of a long black dress coming through, but she remained hidden behind the door. 'I said that I will send for someone.'

'And I have said that you will do finely. Come inside, woman, I need to see who you are! I assume this is your place.'

'It is and you will do well not to order me around, Sir!'

And then she shut the door behind her. I opened my mouth to speak or to shout, whichever worked, but no words followed and within half an hour, the door opened once more slowly.

'Oh, finally, you have decided! You are a strange woman!'

'Uh, excuse me, sir', a man's voice was heard, rugged and old-aged, and soon enough, a man in his forties came in through the door, wearing old filthy clothes and a trait of silver, filled with a plate of warm food and a glass of water. 'Begon you pardon, sir, it's only me. Miss sent me up with your supper, sir.'

'Oh', I frowned confused. 'I… Come in, sir.'

He smiled and nodded, before he came up to the bedside humble. His hair was black and greasy, but I made no difference between him and myself, since I too must have been in a terrible state since the ship wreckage. This man looked handsome, but worked off and a farmer by the looks of it.

When he left the tray over by the bedside, and tried leaving, I asked him t stay and told him my name. 'Oh, I know your name, Mr. Chase, and I will daresay mine. It's Horace. Horace Connors, but Miss calls me Connors.'

'Tell me, Mr. Connors, where I am and who is this Miss you speak of. She will not present herself to me and I think I am in her house as guest. I should be thanking her properly.'

'Oh, you don't thank Miss Dunn properly, you just stay out of her way, Mr. Chase, that's the way I see it.'

'When have I been brought here and how?'

'Oh, I think you've been since a fortnight, sir, but you were unconscious and there would be no one to the near area to fetch you, sir, so we had to place you in Miss Dunn's care.'

'Would I be the sole survivor? There was another man with me in the wrecked boat that brought us here…'

'Yes, there is, sir, I think. Yes… uh, oh yes! The man is resting at the priest's house, down town, sir. He was in much better condition than yourself, Mr. Chase, and the Miss would not accept two of your lordship's kind. It's her custom, one at a time. But best if you not force to meet her in private, she is a stubborn young woman, sir.'

'Yes, I think so. I have tried thrice to ask her to make her acquaintance, yet she refused.'

To this, Connors smiled. 'As I said, Mr. Chase, best if you keep out of Miss Dunn's way than in her footsteps.'

'What is this town called, Mr. Connors?'

'Well, it's called Dove's Cottage, sir, there used to be filled with cottages in the old days, but since they built the lighthouse by the coast, it's been thriving. A good thousand soles live around here, but the houses are spread across the coastline. Miss Dunn's house is the farthest.'

'I see. So I am located to the farthest of the earth, so to speak.'

'Something of it, Mr. Chase, yes. I reckon you'll do fine in no time, though, the place it quiet and the location is well suited for a fine breath of air. And Miss Dunn may appear harsh and imposing, sir, but I doubt she would not attend to her guests properly.'

'Mr. Connors!' I heard the same female voice once more from behind the door, and to this, the man beside me startled.

'Yes, Miss?'

'When you are finished, please come to see me in the study, I have another task for you.'

I breathed in and watched him look at me, before he walked out from the room. I haven't seen him after this and I ate and drank by myself. Soon, when the clock struck the evening time of late, and the night sky settled in, the door to my room slowly pulled in to shut.

'Wait!' I spoke and the door stopped moving. 'Please. I will do no harm to you. I am confined to this bedside and will not move for the better part of the following week, I can assure you. We have not spoken for merely a few minutes and I feel compelled to thank you properly. As I heard, you have taken me in and for that, I owe you my life.'

I waited for her to move. 'Please. Come in so that I can thank you properly.'

There was movement from the other side suddenly. From the tone of her voice, I could imagine she would be a woman in her forties, strong-willed and harsh at temper, especially from the manner of her addressing those she seemed to deem lower in rank than herself.

'You owe me nothing, Mr. Chase. You should not feel compelled to thank me, I have not saved anyone's life.'

'I don't even know your name!'

'I believe Mr. Connors has given you enough information. You will be well taken care of, rest assured. And when you are fit to roam on your feet, you will be able to leave. During this time, it is not necessary that we become any further acquainted.'

I frowned. 'You sound very strong-willed, Miss Dunn.'

There was a pause, during which she spoke nothing. After this, she said: 'I wish you a pleasant night, Mr. Chase.'

'At least, do me the favour of not shutting the door to this room.'

As a result, I heard her footsteps through down the stairs.


	2. Friends under the storm

3.

During the course of the following days, I have heard the presence of several persons throughout the house, wandering about, the stairs and the floor creaking under the sound of the footsteps. I grew acquainted to Liesl, the young lady who – as I understood – took music lesson from this mysterious Miss Dunn – and only occasionally took a piece of her mind as well. Three days continuously I have heard her play the strings wrongly and she had received a spank from her female teacher. She refused to speak ill of this Miss Dunn of hers, because she was certain that she had been the bad of the practice. None of her mistakes were done to spite her female teacher or to show rebellion.

And then there was this odd Mr. Connors who helped me by bringing my meals once or twice a day, speaking little, behaving humbly and unwilling to speak of the mistress of this house.

Finally, there was a third person, a young woman, a servant who had been hired as maid once or twice a week and whose name was Nancy. She would not speak much of Miss Dunn because - as she so often put it – she believed she would be ill-treated if ever someone heard her gossip. In fact, once I heard her take out the empty tray from my room after I was done with my lunch and before she could make a few steps on the stairs, she tripped and fell over with the tray falling off onto the floor. Naturally, I heard the plates, the cutlery and the coffee cup smash into pieces as they hit the floor. There was a moment of pause during which all indoor activities ceased and a few moments during which this young lady stepped up quickly and mumbled to herself worriedly, as she hurriedly tried to undo the wrong she had already committed.

'Oh dear, oh dear…! Oh, n-no, oh n-no…'

'Foolish woman!'

The familiar feminine harsh voice resounded in the hallway and the younger woman startled visibly, dropping onto the ground whatever was left of the broken objects, only to break them further.

'Oh, uh, oh, I'm sorry, I am so terribly sorry, Miss!'

'Foolish woman! Take your filthy hands off from those pieces!'

And then the sound of something being slapped resounded through the walls. 'Step away, you incompetent! Do not touch those!'

'I… I'm terribly sorry, Miss, I didn't really…!'

'Leave now, you imbecile! Now!'

I heard the hurried footsteps of Nancy walking away frightened, while someone was left to pick up the broken pieces. 'Young lady, you will step into your room and practice!'

'But Miss is bleeding.'

'Do not come any closer, you foolish child, or I shall smack you as I did Nancy and you shall have a bruised eye on the following morning!'

'I-I'm sorry, Miss, I'm sorry…'

'I'll clean up the mess, Miss', Mr. Connors spoke, as he came through from the front door.

'Oh, I will undo the wrong that has been done by incompetent hands, Mr. Connors, and I shall thank you not to interfere, I doubt you are any brighter!'

'Miss, you'll cut yourself…'

Off went another slap.

'I believe I have made myself very clear, fool! Now take that idiotic child from the kitchen and see that she reaches home safely. I daresay she would bring misfortune to other unfortunate souls before she reaches her house.'

Her tone of voice was raised and she was angry. She had a strong tone of voice, much like that of soldiers on the battlefield, demanding, impulsive and violent, intolerant to disorder and chaos.

The image I had of these four characters at present further enhanced around one single centralized character, which was this Miss Dunn, whom I had not had the pleasure of knowing since I had awakened in her home.

She would not have other visitors, she would not come to the room of her guest and she would speak very little apart from these other people whom she often bore little close to nothing of respect.

Liesl seemed to admire her for some reason, although she would often come to my room to say goodbye and wish me well until our following meeting with a swollen cheek and I daresay I was often unpleasantly surprised to realize that perhaps this female teacher of hers should be called upon by her parents and given a piece of their mind in return.

This female savior of mine seemed highly unlikely a kind, warm-hearted person and I fairly believed I was much of a burden to her as was her years of old age. Her voice sounded rugged and demanding, almost masculine so, and I suspected she was in her late forties, a wild, but untamed woman who could never find love, therefore chose to grow impatient and insufferable in return.

They sent for a doctor on the first Monday after the week I had awakened and this was because I suffered from a small indigestion. Mr. Connors was called upon to fetch for the doctor after suppertime, when the weather outside worsened and he had been punished to spend the time outside, for he had forgotten to fulfill a task to his mistress' satisfaction.

The doctor was in his late fifties, a tall imposing man who took care not speak ill of my benefactor, while I was consulted.

'Oh, I am certain Miss Dunn is doing her very best, Mr. Chase. If anything, you would not be in such good state under your conditions. Remember, my dear boy, you've been brought here in the middle of the night with no one else to vouch for your well-being and Miss Dunn was kind enough to agree to take you in until your health improves. I must say I would have taken you for a last case. You must forgive me, however, for having such little faith in the power of the human body.'

I smiled. 'I would have believed myself dead a while ago, Mr. Foster, so I take no offense onto your words.'

He began consulting my eyes and then the constitution of my face. 'I've heard there is another man taken care of in town. A companion of mine…'

'Ah, a Mr. Haggins. Yes, I consulted him only a few days ago, but his state of health is much worse than yours. I cannot vouch for his health as well as I can do for you, Mr. Chase.'

'I see', I frowned hard. 'Is there any chance that I could see him?'

'I understand the need to see a friend on his death bed, but I would suggest you must take it slow, Mr. Chase, I will do my very best to keep the man alive until we have reached the point of no return. And you should not try anything foolish, you will not be able to withstand the pain as it is.'

But I was foolish to consider this man's words later during the night, when the window to my room was left open by Nancy. While the air had been fresh and chilly during the day, now it turned bitter and cold and the room was left without fire by the mantelpiece. It gradually turned cold and darker than I expected, especially since the weather showed signs of rainfall.

The sea breeze creeped in through the window and the curtain blew a few times, before I was awakened in desperate need to warm up. I looked around frightened, as if returning back to the times of desperation from the shipwreck and as I turned to face the window, I could almost see black shadows moving about the beach side wobbling about, strangely suspended by the sheer will to live on wandering aimlessly. They looked like puppets worked on by masters of disguise, hiding in between the crushing waves of the sea, and I could almost hear them laughing, or calling me by my name, although I knew none of them.

The ship had a mere number of thirty men and I was but a helper on desk, without a hint of as to who everyone was and why we had gathered there. Yet these souls roaming the beach felt friendly, but threatening at the same time, familiar yet unknown to me and they called my name before, I realized I was pushing aside the blanket and was pushing my unhealthy leg to the edge.

I barely comprehended the movement of my body unwilling to refuse the call, as I pushed off the blankets and it fell on the floor. But before I could stand up, something like a dark figure walked pass me at a quick pace, came by the windows and banged them together sealing them firmly.

There was light coming from a small candle which this person had left by the first piece of furniture closest to the entrance door. The woman turned around slowly and although I could not see much of her presence, I could notice that she was wearing a long dress, something of a large silk-like coat over and her hair was long and streaming down her shoulders. She brought in an odd smell of wet wood and incense.

She wrapped her coat over to her neck and held it sealed with one hand.

'I, uh…'

'You should refrain yourself, Mr. Chase, form performing any night strolls at this late hour all on your own. As I understand from Mr. Foster has not given his consent yet that you should move about the bed.'

'I… Those men…'

'They are not men, sir. They were spirits. Mere souls of those who have died at sea.'

I raised my head to look at the dark figure standing before me.

'You've seen them?'

'They've always been there, Mr. Chase, because there will always be fools to love death more than life itself. Perhaps you yourself would have been one of them, had life not given thought to keep you alive. Perhaps you were foolish to believe death is a better experience that life, yet you were gullible to be deceived otherwise.'

'I will not have you call me a fool, woman!' I stood up abruptly, but was suddenly struck by pain in my leg so sharp, I almost gasped without words for breath of air I could not receive. I lay still on the bedside, my hand crushing against the side of my ribs, holding them firmly in place because of the pain raising up to my muscles.

'All men are foolish to believe they will conquer death, Mr. Chase. What did you expect to find at the end of the world over sea, sir? Paradise itself?'

She breathed in as a mother would in front of a spoiled child. 'You would do well to rest, sir, you have not recovered so easily.'

'I thank you for your concern, but I needn't your advice, woman.'

'I'd ask you to mind your manners, sir, you are not speaking to a servant of this house.'

Her tone was harsh and determined.

'I will speak in any way I please to someone who would not properly present herself to her guests, furthermore, who would call them fools without proof.'

'Perhaps I should send for Mr. Connors to fetch you out of this house, Mr. Chase.'

'Your threats do not scare me, woman. If anything, they would deform my opinion of you, as little as I have managed, listening to others speaking of you.'

The light from the candle was fading distantly, but it was enough to shut in a sealing light over my behind and her front side of the black dress she was wearing. I could see the coat she held at her neck and it looked heavy, but of oriental style, something I have never seen before.

'And what do others speak of me then, Mr. Chase?'

There was a hint of mockery in her voice, which only worked to annoy me.

'You will not make a fool out of me, woman. I will try and fulfill my end of the bargain, and as soon as my health improves, I shall leave this house, make no mistake.'

'Very well, Mr. Chase. Until then, good sir, I would advise you to refrain from some such comments addressed to myself.'

'I will do any comments I please!'

I was terribly annoyed and angered and I almost felt like I should step up and hold true to my patience, but this woman's scornfulness and her determination to have me ashamed even in private was more than I could handle for a mere week in her home.

'Very well.'

And then she walked up to the room. she went to pick up the candle and I saw the light moving around, while I turned to face her. I caught a glimpse of her face and it looked womanly, but unclear. 'Pray, tell me, madam, why have you agreed to take me in if you treat your guests so unkindly? It's obvious you don't want my company.'

She turned her head to look at me and she was so uncertain I would not see her clearly, she was right in holding up the candle to one side and have half of her face illuminated. 'It is not the company I dislike, Mr. Chase. It is the people I am not fond of. Whether they are good or mischievous. I dislike them all. And when people brought you at the doors of my house, they demanded I should take you in, on account of being Christian. I had no choice in the matter.'

'Then, you are saying you have been forced. It's nothing like Mr. Connors said, then!'

'I would give little credit to this man whose sole purpose in life had been to serve those deemed superior to him.'

'You'll pardon my indolence, but that's conceited of you, woman!'

'I am not asking anyone to like or to agree to my being, Mr. Chase. Likewise, I would not care less of other people's opinion of me. Men are cruel and they are liars and cheaters. They will do anything for a piece of gold or a handful of silver. They will scheme and plot and kill for what they deem necessary to have, regardless whether what they wish for does not belong to them in the first place.'

'Not all men are the same, and you should be any wiser to know, madam!'

'This is the kind I know Mr. Chase. And those who are not, are too coward to prefer life instead of victimization. I dislike any of those kind, sir, and I must warn you, Mr. Connors is of the lesser kind, the sneaking quiet kind who waits like a snake to catch the first bite.'

'If he is so, then you are foolish to keep him as your servant.'

'And you, Mr. Chase, are quick to judgement, I see.'

'Why do I have the impression that whenever you call me Mr. Chase, you are mocking?'

She did not reply any further, instead, she drew her hand above the candle she held and when she brought her fingers down, they shut the flame off suddenly.

'Good night, Mr. Chase.'

4.

On the following day, the weather improved enough so that the sun came out and after my late breakfast – which Nancy had been so kind to prepare without delay – I had awakened with Mr. Connors at the door to my chamber and announced that the mistress had asked him that he should help carry me to the porch outside facing the sea. There, I would have a chair prepared for me and I would be able to spend some time under the sunlight.

It felt strange to know that this woman had suddenly turned caring for me, but at the same time, I deemed it unwisely to refuse the offer. Perhaps seeing me sit by the side of the bed, the woman concluded that I would be able to withstand a little more effort.

I was heavily carried with one arm by Mr. Connors, and we both found it difficult to do so whilst heading out of the room and into the main hall. As I walked about with me – being dragged on more than walked off – I could see the house was large, a manor-like place, lonely and old in decorations, with paper-and-wood lanterns hung everywhere, chandeliers mightily sculpted with imprints and decorations of Chinese dragons and phoenix birds. The rooms were dimly lit, but the windows had curtains pulled off to one side, so that the sunlight would penetrate and set the Asian carpets, the Asian and Persian piece of furniture and the wallpapers on the wall in paintings of gold and bright red.

I could see the room I had been set on was located at the top first floor, and from then on, a set of stairs had to go down into the main hall. The place felt strangely lonely, although I was certain at this time that Liesl was having her music lessons with the mistress of the house.

I was carried into the hallway with great care and to this, Nancy was called upon. I felt ashamed of putting people at great discomfort, but the deed was decided and done. I had been taught for too long to play humble and make less and less use of the force of those deemed lower in rank than myself from a social stand-point.

The rooms had the doors open and finally, as we headed for the porch, I could watch the surrounding place and the room on one side where Liesl had her music lessons. The door was slightly open, when I noticed the child sitting on her knees by the side of a large strange musical instrument. It had subtle strings, but it stood facing the player upwards without any concern, as if it were a small Japanese table. She was biting her lower lip when I smiled to her, she noticed me from the corner of her eye and turned around to smile in return.

She waved to me and I nodded in her direction, before I was torture further towards the porch. There was a large seat waiting for me there with a small table filled with refreshments. They were so delicately prepared, I doubted Nancy had the time or the elegance to arrange them so.

I was settled on a chair before long and I was brought a blanket and made as perfectly comfortable as possible. On a daily basis, being a sailor, I was rather tired of staring at the sea and watch the waves dance through the wet sands from the beach, but this time, the clean air, the winds and the cold sunlight was more than enough for me to enjoy. I was breathing the fresh air of the sea breeze, I was staring at naughty seagulls flying off through the winds, trying to compete with their speed, while the old Lighthouse made its way through time standing still a few miles from the manor.

There was a small paved path through the sand where it did not reach the waves and I was certain it led through to the town, but firstly, it headed straight for the garden and the few rose bushes the manor had as decoration. Obviously the place needed some arrangement and certainly the touch of a gardener, but I doubted the woman wanted any further company than necessary.

It was quiet for a while and I felt refreshed, especially from the fresh air, the chilliness of the weather, the familiar sound of the sea breeze and the playful seagulls. For a time, I haven't seen anyone and I have not been disturbed, even when I heard Liesl play one of her tone incorrectly and the mistress scolded her harshly. When it was time for supper, Nancy came by and asked me politely if I had anything necessary and while I shook my head, she smiled humbly and went in the house.

After this, just before nightfall I was brought another blanket and Mr. Connors spoke with me a little more, before he asked if I wished to come into the house.

A man came by the paved path from the beachside and he was wearing a long black garment which signified that he was of the holy side. His look was concerned and as he came towards the house, I could see the wrinkles from under his eyes and the one on his hands, signifying that the man would be old of age.

As soon as he came closer, he smiled forcedly and nodded, while Mr. Connors greeted him humbly. 'Good eve, reverent Johnson!'

'Good shall be your heart, my boy! And you must be Mr. Christopher Chase, is it not so?'

'Indeed I am, sir', I smiled. 'I'm sorry I cannot greet you properly.'

He gave me his hand as if I were to kiss it, but I was never much of a man for church, so I took it in my fingers and smiled nodding. He took his hand away disconcerned, as if he was meeting a heretic, yet he was not sure if he would exert his power over me. In return, he gave his hand to Mr. Connors, who did kindly what the priest has expected him to.

'It's perfectly alright, sir, and understandable at that. But I must agree, I have heard a great deal of you from a Mr. Foster and his concern as a doctor was that you should not step out from the bed for a while off. Yet, here you are, I see, sitting by the porch, in the cold and in wind-blowing.'

'Yes, here I am', I smiled forcedly.

'Oh, where are my manners, indeed! Please forgive me, I am Reverent Charles Johnson. It is a pleasure to finally meet you, Mr. Chase, I must confess you have been the talk of the town for the past few days.'

'I see. I thank you for your acquaintance, sir. I hope news of me are good, as they travel into town.'

'Quite so!' he smiled forcedly once more, and as soon as his face stared at me, with his black eyes, I concluded that this man was not to my liking. He quickly turned to face Mr. Connors and asked him of the mistress of the house.

'She be in the house, Reverent. Should I call out for the lady or shall I bring you into the waiting room?'

'Oh, I would rather prefer she stepped outside, Connors. As far as I know her ladyship, a breath of fresh air should not do harm to her.'

I understood then that this man would be indolent enough to travel through the basic of conduct in order to show that he would be one of those powerful men in town and not those who were deeded so by the amount of fortune they made a year. The mansion was large and well taken care of, as old as it seemed, and while the few people dwell in it, the rooms were elegantly decorated with expensive things brought undoubted from Japan or China, so I was certain the lady of the house was of high class. In this case, she would undoubtedly threaten this man's social power to the very least, showing all around him that she should not be treated lightly, since she was nobility. I suspected however that, due to her fine character, Miss Dunn was not all that likeable in these parts.

The priest stood by my side, while Mr. Connors went to fetch her, and I wondered if she would compel to this request, seeing as my image of her was stubborn, ignorant and arrogant.

'I must confess, Mr. Chase, you look finely, as oppose to how it had been when you were brought to the manor.'

'I've seen worst days', I smiled as the man nodded.

'It is very fortunate that you were saved and that her ladyship has agreed to take you in. She would make no better host of as much a better guest. Oh, hello, Liesl!'

The child came out from the house smiling to us. As soon as she reached my side, she smiled to me widely. And then she made a small curtsy to the reverent. 'Hello, Father Johnson!'

'You look lovely in that dress, my dear. Is this a new one?'

'Something of it. Mommy brought it all the way from Paris.'

'It's very lovely, my dear. Oh, Miss Dunn!'

I startled because I thought – no, I was convinced! – that this woman would not make use of the man's request and put it into being. The request itself had been mischievous and rude, yet I suspected that now, she had agreed to it, simply not to embarrass herself in front of a crowd. Even though I doubted Liesl understood the etiquette of the time, I was certain she believed Nancy would watch and eaves-drops, same as Mr. Connors would and also, I too was a stranger she believed she needed to show a certain decent side of her to.

'I do apologize, my dear, for calling you out like this and under such timing, but I wondered… might I have a word with you in private? Perhaps you prefer we take a short walk through the garden?'

He stretched his hand to her, but I could not see her because she was still hiding behind the chair I was sitting on. I gradually began to believe that perhaps this woman was frightened to show herself, due to her old age.

'Very well, sir. Mr. Connors, I will have you help Mr. Chase return to his chamber within half an hour.'

'Thank you, madam, but I can decided that for myself', I replied looking away, while she passed me by, to come to the reverent. When she finally reached him, she turned her face to stare at me and I felt her do so. I looked up and expected nothing more and nothing less but less wrinkles than the priest, yet further more than what I could expect from a woman in her forties.

But what I received instead was a pair of light blue eyes and a fairly young skin type, hair as black as raven, streaming down her shoulders and a pale skin. She was nothing of what imagined or expected, and if anything, she was fairly handsome and fetching to the eye. But there was evil frowning in her eyes and her lips were straight and blood red, as if she never smiled.

'Half an hour, Mr. Connors. No more, no less. Mr. Chase, may I remind you that this should not have been possible by means of Mr. Foster's indications. But as you know, I am aware of my guests' needs as well.'

'Then you should know, Madam, I do not take orders from anyone.'

'I believe you just did, sir.'

And then she turned around ignoring me completely, oblivious to the entire embarrassing situation she has created and soon enough she stared at the reverent who smiled forcedly to her and gave her his hand so that she would receive it.

She pressed her lips together and began walking forward. Now that I knew just how young she was, I found it hard not to match her age with a little over a child's, especially in matters of treating one's guests or proper social etiquette.

I could see her clearly now, her slim figure and the black dress she wore tightly around her body, with the large silk coat id seen her before in. it had imprints of Japanese cranes and the sunlight setting over a bamboo forest. She'd caught one side from her black hair in a silver pin with a large pearl atop, and dangling small silver butterflies from there. She reminded of those paintings I'd seen some time ago, when Matthew Perry discovered the island of Japan and threatened that he would bring upon them political mayhap, should they chose to refuse the foreign access into the land. If anything, this woman reminded me of those times, so when Mr. Connors began carrying me to the room, I asked him of her origins and he confirmed it to the vaguest.

'No, sir, she's not born from this parts. I am uncertain at which point she come to Dove's Cottage, but folks down town gossip she'd come some few years ago by ship from the Far East. There is little I know of her though, sir.'


	3. Kayo and her Koto

5.

The passing of days at this house were quiet, yet restless at the same time, as Nancy seemed to be my eyes and my ears all the same. At first, it took me a while to ask her of things as they went around here, but after this, along with charming smiles and kind encouragements, I have managed to scoop up a few pieces of information I knew best would suit my curiosity.

On the day that I have met Reverent Johnson, when his walk with the mistress had ended, so had her great spirits for she had been under great anger after this. in fact, she'd stormed into the house, loudly yelling at Nancy when she had done any mistake of any kind and she had even punished Liesl when the child had done wrong in playing her musical tone. She had sent Mr. Connors "to his Maker" and had no tried at all to contact human life during the course of the following days.

I have managed to find out from Nancy that Miss Dunn was a woman of odd origins, coming from the East a few good years ago, perhaps two decades or so and thus I had realized that not only was this woman younger than I had expected – at around twenty-two of age – but that she had come to this place as a child with her mother alone and that since her mother's death some earlier years before, she had refused to have any other company beside herself.

She was not at all respected in town, for she was the greater source of gossip in this town. My presence here was not helping at all either.

'Why would you say that, Nancy?' I smiled as she helped me stand up so that she fixed the bedsheets and the pillows.

'Begon your pardon, sir, but you know how it is around these smaller parts, I mean, a young lady alone in the house with a single man… everyone knows you, sir, are by no wish of your own, but you see us, simple minds work very straightforward, you see, sir, I mean, what I'd see is a man alone in the house with a single woman, you know, sir. I mean no ill by saying this, but I suppose people think it hard for her… under the circumstances.'

'I understand what you mean', I said.

'Sorry, sir.'

'You don't need to apologize, Nancy.'

She helped me sit down by the bedside and smiled for some reason. When I asked her what it was about that she was amused, she excused herself again and said: 'Well, uh, I guess she's got a mind of her own, sir, you know, she wouldn't like it if she heard me telling you rumors, sir, I really think she wouldn't. But Father Johnson says she should marry and marry soon at that.'

'Nancy, how about you keep that comment to yourself, hm?'

'Yes, sir, sorry, sir.'

When night fell, the weather turned chilly once more, but for some reason, I heard the string sounds once more, slow, casual, simple, as if the player himself were so experienced that he could hardly make a mistake or need to stare at what he played. Nancy had left the door to my room open, so the music played on coming from the porch. It was very quiet outside and the starry night showed a good sign of warmth and calm sea breeze.

The music played on in very much the same manner as Liesl's song, even though she'd always miss out on a few strings, during which the lesson would cease, she would be punished and then forced to being once more. This time, the player was experienced enough to get the string sounds right and not only had the music carried on, but it also increased gradually in intensity, the pinching of the strings firmer, stronger, as if the player suddenly felt anger and wished to pull out the feelings from within.

The music was familiar to me, having listened to it several times, yet the strings and their sounds were strange, sad and out from this world, an instrument I have never heard or seen before and I was certain it was the very same instrument I had seen when I was carried onto the porch for the first time during the course of the passing days. The instrument had looked heavy, wooden-built, and so I wondered how it had ended being transported onto the porch, if there was no Mr. Connors to help.

I pushed aside the blankets and with my unhealthy leg, I was determined to step out from the room and take a peek at the singer, as I was certain now the player must have been this woman herself. I tried standing up and do my best to ignore the pain throbbing at my leg, yet as soon as I tried taking a step forward, my hand stretched over to the closest piece of furniture from the bed, yet the balance had been lost before I could take any step forward. As a result, I crashed onto the floor over the healthy side, yet it was enough to break a shout and a swearing expression from between my lips, while I tried to stand still onto the floor and make certain to find a position during which the pain throbbing at my leg would gradually subside.

Naturally, the string-music ceased immediately. I heard steps onto the stairs a few seconds later, the movement slow, but calculated, soon enough, under the dim light from the candles lit up in the room where I was kept, I could see Miss Dunn's dark figure coming up quietly. 'Playing games, are we, Mr. Chase?'

'I'd advise you, woman, not to laugh of me, but to hurry and help me on my feet!'

She stopped in the doorway, and now I could see she had no hesitation in showing off her face, although she still preferred having her face half hidden under the dark from the unreachable side of the candlelight. She held both her hands up front and stared down at e, making no haste to render her support to me.

'I do not help the weakling, Mr. Chase. The agreement was that I should offer you at best a place where you would be properly taken care of. It stipulated no such concern that I should raise you from the ground whenever you see fit to play games onto the floor with a beaten-up leg.'

'Stop this nonsense and hand me your hand, woman! I need to sit up!'

She made no movement towards me, so I saw her figure half hidden under the dark. I was utterly surprised to see just how stubbornly foolish she was to refuse to be a kind Christian. 'You must be mad! I said you should help me, woman! Come here!'

'I do not take orders, Mr. Chase.'

'Can't you see I'm on the floor?! Come here, I said! You must help me, I can't make a single move at this point.'

She still stood there quiet, motionless until she irritated me greatly and I had to raise my voice at her: 'Now, woman!'

Finally, she made a twist from her mouth, so dislikeable of women her age and she took a few steps into the room. she looked around disconcerned, yet a little taken aback, as if she'd stepped into the room after a long absence. Finally, she pulled up her long sleeves from the silk-like coat she wore, twisted the large hems over her elbows and bent down under the weight of her clothing. Her hair was loose and black, so it came down one side crashing over the carpet, but she made no effort to pull it away. In fact, her figure now, under the dim light from the candle, looked very much young and fetching to the eyes, even though she reminded nothing of princesses or feminine beauty. Furthermore, she had a cut at the corner of her mouth to the right of her cheek, which should have decreased her appeal to men and I imagined it quite did.

Her bright blue eyes focused on my hands, while her fingers clutched to the elbows strangely firm. She seemed to be using her arms more than with just playing on strings. So she took one of my arms and forced it around her neck before she wrapped one of her arms around my waist. We spoke nothing, while we tried helping each other so that I would stand up on my feet and be taken to the bed. As soon as I was dropped gently on the mattress, my arm slipped from her neck along with her straight black hair, as if glided along the bed side and onto the floor.

'Ah… thank you.'

I could see the distraught written all over her face, a twist from her cornered mouth and a switch of eyesight onto the other sides. 'Very well, Mr. Chase. Now, if you are done fooling around, I shall like to return to my instrument.'

She stood up, brushed away her clothes as if she had gathered dust on the way to helping me out and she straightened her long sleeves. The silk coat was very strange-looking and I imagined it was of Asian original, as most of the things located around the house. there was an odd manner about her after she walked up a few feet away from the bed and wished me a good night. For some reason, I felt ashamed for putting her up to this simple, yet perhaps degrading task.

I saw her the way she acted so youngly around me, like a young woman who had been taught by her experienced mother not to speak to strangers or to accept becoming intimate with them. Perhaps the very idea that she had so bluntly refused to help me out was due to the fact that unacquainted with such tasks and doing them for single men felt perhaps strange to her, shameful and embarrassing for a young woman her age, without having some external help to accompany.

I hadn't held a woman in my arms for a long time, and I was very little acquainted with young women's behavior these days, especially since I've spent most of my life at sea, rubbing the floorboard or jobbing around the deck. But I could tell that this woman was embarrassed to spend her time alone with a man she hardly knew and with whom she currently shared an empty manor. Perhaps for this reason alone, she had refused for so long to show herself to me.

But before I could say anything to her, I realized I was left alone in the room, the door opened, while she was already by the porch, continuing on her string playing game.

6.

After this, the song Liesl had to train on had been changed to a subtler kind, a more difficult type and as I have heard, she had not been announced. As I have heard Nancy speak when she'd brought me the tray of lunch, Liesl had tried to ask why she would need to train on a song she did not know, but her mistress was determined not to tell her the reason, yet forced her into trying. In fact, a demonstration was given to prove her point, which was that she played it herself.

Later during the afternoon, when the Reverent Johnson came by for a discussion and asked Mr. Connors to call out for her, she refused to see him. He was very surprised, excused himself and tried to enter her study, but the study was locked. Thus was the behavior of this strange young woman, as she so obviously tried to seclude herself away from the outer world and pretend that she would push it away with mischief and miss behavior.

As soon as the priest was gone, she had been so angry that she had almost stricken down Mr. Connors, as mighty as he seemed beside her.

Nancy was around the room cleaning the place, and settling up the windows for some fresh air, while I enjoyed a glass of water and pondered whether I should have asked the priest to come by and let me know on the man who had been taken care of down town and who had been found with me after the ship wreckage.

She had just been telling me how this Mr. Connors did not work for her and that, if anything – as Nancy believed – he was actually brought in by the Reverent Johnson in order to provide Miss Dunn with some extra help.

'I daresay, sir, I think he's sort of a spy, I know that sounds silly, sir, I know it does, but he's sometimes very strange and if anything, he doesn't like changing around here, I should know.'

'Is that so, Nancy?'

'Yes, it is, sir, I am telling you, he should not be trusted at times. But he's a good man to have around, sir, you can trust him, he'll help with any task if necessary.'

But as soon as she spoke, we heard highered voiced downstairs, and for a while we pretended not to pay much attention, until I heard Mr. Connors speak something and then a loud whizzing sound filled the air ending with a thudding sound. To this, Nancy and I stopped our tasks and stared at one another, before she came down from the room and into the stairhall.

'Mr. Connors, I will have you leave this house at once! And if you dare repeat this once more, I will call on Mr. Johnson and ask him to remove you from this place!'

'Yes, madam, I'm sorry.'

'Apologies mean nothing to me, you fool, I need you to leave! Now, Mr. Connors!'

'Now, Miss, you should understand…!'

'Would you rather I open the entrance door to you, Mr. Connors?'

'M-madam…'

'See to it that you are out of my sight in the next few minutes.'

And then I heard a loud bang, as if someone had slammed the door. Mr. Connors was left in the hall to vouch alone for his leaving, but he pulled his legs across the floor and stepped outside. After this, all was quiet and Nancy returned into the room.

'What happened?' I asked frowning concerned.

'I don't know, sir, but I think I've just witnessed Miss kicking Mr. Connors out. Must've been something he's done, sir, I am telling you, he is a strange figure. Helpful, but strange. One should not trust him, and I don't mean to sound nasty at this, but with him not being employed and all, he wouldn't even need to work at this place. I daresay, sir, I'll be left all alone to deal with the house-chores. I'm not complaining, sir, certainly, I'm not but…'

'Nancy!'

'Ah, uh, yes, madam!'

She came out from the room before I could say anything and went running down the stairs, just as her mistress scolded her harshly for doing it so noisily. After this, she asked her to take Liesl home and sent her off without dismiss. She had one of her misfits and I believed it had been because she had been upset by this Mr. Connors.

Later on, during the evening, as I was napping having no occupation at hand, this young lady came into the room to fetch the tray of finished lunch which had been left in the room since she'd dismiss the young servant.

I could open my eyes and see her through the dim light from the candles. This time, she had been wearing something of a dark red colour, which oddly reminded me of the kind of dresses women made for themselves whenever they could not have money to buy new ones. Atop, she had her silk coat with her long sleeves reaching up to the ground floor.

She had caught up her hair in a strange Oriental fashion, but there were still a few strings of hair freed and settled upon her shoulders.

As soon as she picked up the tray and left the room, she did not return until later the evening when she had brought in the tray with dinner. She had served me a warm broth which felt soothing and homey, but I was most surprised to learn that – if the servant had not prepared the dish beforehand – she might have done the cooking herself.

I could hear her practicing her sad songs over the strings and I could imagine her sitting by the porch as she did so. Some time during the closing time of midnight, there was light coming from downstairs, as the door to my room was left open and I could almost hear the crickets singing, while the sea was quiet and soothing.

The woman played on her strings in various tones, as if she could not care less if she had guests in the house. for some reason, I listened to her singing and I imagined my life on the ship, as sickly and deadly as it had begun when we had decided to head straight for the end of the world. We had been promised many things before the task at hand and, although our ship was a simple merchandizing vessel, it had been plain to see that the company asking us for this long distance journey had in fact been planning a scheme of their own to cut low on the budget while giving more responsibility to those they deemed worthless as living creatures.

This place was quiet and it was secluded, strange as it may seem and I was interested to see the town once I would come back on my feet. Strangely enough, I missed not my home, nor the sister and the family I had left behind. Perhaps they still believed I would be asail by the ocean, trying to fulfill a task impossible to handle. But this song of strings, so strange in its perfection, so unheard of, reminded me of my human feelings, of the times when I was a child and I played as fisherman or sail assistant alongside my father before we lost him to the waves.

I had known the sea since a child and never had I been under this situation enough to realize that I had been lacking food for several months before I had been saved. I wondered how this other colleague of mine felt, now that his life had been endangered, and I assumed to be rightful that I see him with my own eyes, to convince myself that he would not die.

I realized just how foolish the idea should be, since I could hardly move on my own, let alone have someone carry me all the way to down town, wherever this place should be.

During the course of the following day, no one ever came to the house and there would be no one to roam the house except for the mistress herself.

As I woke up, I had been surprised to realize that there had been a tray settled on the side of the bed, containing a small covered plate with breakfast. There was little movement during the day and I could hear her practice her songs at the strange instrument I'd seen some time ago.

She would perhaps leave the door from the porch open and let in the sea breeze, the salty smell of the beach and the sound of the seagulls singing, while she played her songs and did little to disturb the quietness of the house.

I took it upon my task to try and exercise a little with my muscles, while I tried sitting up and down, after which I moved my leg as close as possible to the edge and sat by the bedside, facing the window.

She walked through the room undoubtedly bringing myself a late supper, yet none of us spoke with each other and she quickly escaped without so much as caring to see for my wellbeing. This woman smelled strangely of green tea and of other some such Oriental incenses which I could not decipher, yet I was certain now that her origins perhaps have started from the Far East alone.

When night fell, as I tried once more the exercise of sitting up and sitting by the edge of the bed, I also decided to light up the candles by the bedside, since this task had bene usually done by Nancy, yet now I doubted there would be anyone to do it for me. What were necessary had been already placed aside by the small candelabra, and there were a few used candles inside it, so the task at hand seemed simple enough.

I could hear her coming in through the room to pick up on the tray of empty plates I had left after supper. I lit up a small match before I tried to stretch my hand and push the match to the very tip of my fingers so that I would reach the candle with it. One other hand was resting around my stomach, feeling the pressure of the pain from my wounds.

The match slipped form my hand and the flame dropped onto the carpet. I stepped onto it as quickly as possible, but the gesture was abrupt and so I gasped out gnashing my teeth. I heard her pick up the plate and waiting.

I expected her to say something harsh, but there was only silence, so I felt compelled to do something of this. 'I'm sorry. I'm a bit sloppy, it's seems.'

I heard her settle the tray aside and come around the bed. This woman was looking straight at the candelabra by the bedside, and she now wore a different type of coat on, a white one of thicker material, which bore on the side large sleeve a few Oriental characters. She took the candelabra in one hand and pulled it closer to my reach.

'At this distance, you should be able to do it yourself.'

'Thank you.'

As she walked away from the bedside, I heard her pick up the tray and almost walk out from the room. 'The songs you play. They are very strange. They sound very sad.'

The woman simply waited by the door with the plate in her hands. 'They are songs I've learned as a child. I dismiss change, so I prefer playing what I know.'

'Maybe you should try a more vivid tone, madam. I may be so bold as to say that a woman of your age would chose a more colourful play than this.'

'I do not like colourful. Colourful is for those who chose to live life in pursuit of happiness. I have not chosen that path.'

'Happiness is not impossible to achieve, if that is what you mean to say.'

'I am not interested in happiness, Mr. Chase. Happiness is a state of mind, a belief that while we are still alive, we should enjoy life, for we will soon die. But I believe that there is no need to enjoy, for we die anyway.'

'That's an unhealthy way of mind for a young woman such as yourself.'

'It's what I chose to believe.'

I turned my head to face her with my eyes. 'Has no one shown you otherwise?'

There was a twitch in her eye, like she meant to say otherwise or regret to have had a mind of her own spoken out loud. Yet, as soon, she looked away and pushed herself into the hall holding the plate up. 'Indeed, no one has, sir.'

'You may call me Christopher.'

'I will choose not to.'

'You are a very stubborn young woman, aren't you?'

'It matters not what you think.'

'Don't leave!'

She stopped in the doorway with the pate in her hands. 'I will not subdue to any further requests, sir. I bid you Good night.'

'I haven't subdued you to anything yet, madam', I said amused. 'And before you go, I have a question I much preferred it if answered. We have not been properly introduced…'

'I could not care less!'

'I understand your stubbornness and the indolence with which I am treated, as I understand, you are still but a child - …'

'I'm not a child!'

'… But I would much prefer it if you gave me your first name. After all, I have been sharing the same place of home with you for the past half a month and it would be deemed decent to at least know my benefactor's name. Maybe I'll want to thank you properly when I am gone.'

'I needn't your thanking, sir, as you may have heard, this had been an agreement, it has never been my intention to take you in.'

'Your name, woman. You've already made it clear I have been forcedly imposing on your good will and hosting.'

'I refuse to give you my name, for it has no relevance, Mr. Chase!'

'It's Christopher.'

I turned around slowly and looked up at her, as she leaned against the balustrade from the stairs, still holding the plate in her hands. 'Give me your name, please. I would like to know it.'

She looked at the plate in her hands confused, and then she looked sideways as if what I asked of her was the most difficult task ever. Suddenly, her evil frowning disappeared gradually and it felt strange to see a more compassionate side of her, yet I could tell she was struggling within. Perhaps giving up her name meant that she would subdue to her unwanting will of socializing.

'Kayo. But I will have you know, sir, I will not have you call me as such. If you do so, then I will have Mr. Connors kick you out from this house. Is that understood?'

'Aye, I understand.'

For some reason, while she then turned around to leave, I found it strangely amusing to realize that she had felt awkward answering the question. Yet I now knew her full name, the name of this strange young woman I knew so very little of, but of whom I was certain I would gradually grow to become interested. It felt as if she were in dare need of a friend, for she seemed to hide many secrets, to cast upon everyone a spell of belief that she would be cruel, and stubborn, yet that in truth, deep within, she would be a kind, yet broken-hearted soul. Her name was strange however, a combination I have never heard before: Kayo Dunn.


	4. The Priest, The Samurai and the decision

7.

A few days after this, Nancy returned to her post and she resumed her daily servant chores, but I have not seen Mr. Connors do the same.

If anything, this man had truly been sent away, yet I doubted Kayo – for this was how I decided to call her in the end – had been so irrational to send away the only male support she would have, until the time came when she would be wed.

That is, if she ever were to accept any man's hand. According to Nancy, she was of age and since she was young, she would make a good wife bringing up any husband of hers to the high class rank, due to her large fortune, I assumed. But she was stubborn, strange and authoritive, which suggested a rather tough character to break and I imagined the man who would have her for his wife would risk taming a wild animal instead.

She reminded me of no woman I have ever met before, and I must confess, I had taken a liking to her because the surprise of knowing she was so young and fetching to the eye did not displease me to the very least. But she was harsh and demanding, stubborn and mischievous at times, which altered my good opinion of her because she would refuse any help when necessary and would have fits of passionate rage which pushed others aside, while she carelessly believed she needed no one beside her.

As soon as Nancy resumed her place in the house, the mistress refused to see anyone beside Liesl with whom she only gave a few lessons of music during the coming week.

Finally, when the sun came out through the clouds and announced a rather good weather, but chilly nevertheless, I was paid a visit by a group of men who had come around the house with Mr. Connors and, evidently, Reverent Johnson.

I was arranged to stay by the porch on my own, for some fresh air, before the group of men approached the house and Reverent Johnson smiled forcedly to us. He said his hello and waited so that the mistress of the house would make her presence by the entrance, after being called by Nancy.

'Madam! A good day to you!'

'Good day to you as well, sir', she said quietly, from behind the chair I sat on.

'Mr. Chase, hello. Uh, permit me to introduce these two gentlemen. They have come here for you. They are from a law firm called Hanson & Son. Perhaps you have heard of them?'

'Good day to you, sir', one of the two said. I could see their smug faces staring at me. Both were in their late forties, wearing a crown of white hair and clothes of the finest material, clearly men whose income fairly overcame mine over the course of one year. Even now, as I watched them briefly, I was convinced that if they have not been introduced as lawyers, then perhaps they would have been the representatives of something of a syndicate type.

I greeted them politely and one of them introduced both of them as a Mr. Rocket and Mr. Marryweather. Both of them came from the law firm as the reverent had said, but they came in representing a ship company called Richmonds & Co, with which I was very well acquainted.

'So, I take it you have come here to discuss the matter of the shipwreck', I said frowning hard.

'We have, sir, yes. If it's possible to discuss in private.'

'Oh yes!' the reverent said just then, staring at the woman behind me. 'Miss Dunn, I wish to speak to you on a matter of the utmost urgency. Would you allow me the pleasure of sharing a private walk with you through the garden?'

'Mr. Johnson, I apologize, but I am very busy at the moment. But you may introduce the gentlemen to the study if they wish to discuss maters privately with Mr. Chase. I am certain Mr. Connors will be happy to help with the task.'

Her voice was cold and she returned into the house before anything further was discussed. And while she was not rested by the priest until he had disturbed her for his conversation, so was I as restless after discussing with the two gentlemen. I would not be able to resume everything in one discussion, yet the matter was grave indeed, because the ship company who had hired us, having heard of our misfortune and having known the truth from the very start, was now under pressure from society that it would lose its reputation, should the truth be spilled out entirely to the world. So, they had devised a scheme by which to force us into lying, in exchange for something which we wished for for a long time, but could not achieve in this world even with the hardest of works.

I would have been promoted captain of the very same ship once rebuilt and ready to set sail, naturally this would bring about a good reputation and would open up finer paths than those opened for me currently. I would be given a rather fine sum of money to start with and I would be returned home under no cost of my own, and would be taken care of by the finest doctors. All of this in exchange for lying to the world and vouching for the perfection in quality and service of the company ship.

I was given at least two days of thought in order to seize for the moment and I would receive a letter within that time to which I would reply in writing and I would respond to the choice. Naturally, I came in distress and in revolt to the idea, as I refused vehemently to lie about what had gone wrong under this tragic course of events. I only thought of the men who had perished under no reason, and those shameful deeds we had been submitted to by the pirates in order to stay alive. It would have been wrong to refuse or to deny the truth, but both scheming lawyers begged that I reconsider the offer and that I would accept the 48-hour trouble in writing everything down as a letter. No action would be taken under my name until that time.

I wanted to leave the room as quickly as possible, having nothing to do with them, so I called for Mr. Connors, but he delayed in coming. His face was flushed and changed, his lips trembling angrily when he came and I had no idea what he had gone through, but he complied to the idea of helping me out from the room.

As soon as I stepped out from the room, the lawyers came from behind still requesting that I do some thinking, but I refused completely and I almost demanded that they leave the place at once.

Just then, I noticed the reverent had come out from what Nancy called the mistress's study and his face was grave, but decided. 'Please think of the proposition I have done for you, my dear. You will find that it is most efficient.'

She came out angry, her cheeks flushed and she pushed everyone aside angrily. 'I'd advise you to step outside, reverent, this is no ground of yours anymore!'

'Madam, this is not how a Christian should mind his guests! Remember, we abide by certain rues in this town.'

'Your words are foul and they brought ill omen to me! For this, I will ask that you leave at once and that you take Mr. Connors with you at once. He should not return in this house or I will have him whipped! Nancy! See them both out! Are you done as well, Mr. Chase?'

She was shouting now so angrily, I barely could hear what the other two were doing behind me. 'Yes, I think our conversation has ceased, madam.'

'Very well! Nancy, see to it that these two fine gentlemen are taken out as well.'

'Madam, I assure you - …'

'The man stated that his business with you is done. Is there more to discuss?'

'Miss Dunn, you should be ashamed of yourself! Such conduct and in front of men like so! How on earth would society gain respect on your behalf if your conduct is in such shameful manner?!'

'I'd advise you, reverent, to take your kind advice elsewhere, and take them strongly, while you step out!'

'How dare you…!'

'It is yourself, sir, who has dared enough! Now take your handyman out and leave at once! And you, gentlemen! Your business is done here, please leave.'

Nancy hurried to the door, once the mistress stared at her intently and drew it open, in awaitance. The two lawyers stepped outside confused, but bid their goodbyes and left. After this, Mr. Connors followed confused, but annoyed for some reason which I could not understand. Finally, a she stepped outside, he took one long glance in Nancy's direction, as if he were trying to ask her for help and support, yet she refused to look at him in return.

Finally, the reverent approached the door, his frown great and his upsetting greater. He eyed young Kayo with a disappointed look on his face and spoke to her harshly: 'I am saddened to realize the woman you have become, Kayo. I thought the father who had raised you brought some sense into you, yet you stubbornly refuse to take his lifetime advice in consideration. The world is not made out of shifting luck and good fortune, my darling, and you know perfectly well there will never be an opportunity like this ever again. This house will fall and you shall with it if you do not comply. You will bring shame to the name of William Dunn under such conduct.'

'Perhaps you should have advised this to him when he has decided to bring us to this country. Where were your good advice then, reverent?'

'How dare you…?'

'I dare, sir, because you dare challenge me to advice over the conduct of my life, when you have done the very same thing to my father and this is the very result. I will not have you do the same mistake to me. Now, if you'll excuse me, I have a very important business to attend to. Nancy? After Mr. Johnson left, I will have you bring Mr. Chase his supper. I will be in the study, but I do not wish to be disturbed. And if any other some such figures come over for disturbance, please make sure to seal the door and not open it under any circumstances.'

'Kayo!'

'Do not address me in that fashion, sir! You have no right! No right at all.'

For a while, the house was engulfed into silence. I grew accustomed to the quietness of the rooms and to Nancy's daily tasks roaming about the rooms. She often hums lullabies and I would hear her sing, until she was called out by her mistress for some such task or chore.

I found it refreshing to realize that the house would have less guests and that few people were interested for visiting. The place was remote as it were, but the sound of the sea and the feeling of the sea breeze followed by complete silence calmed me completely. If ever I had been disturbed by the news brought on by the two lawyers, the silence of the place returned serenity to me. There was nothing to rethink of the matter or to reconsider, even if that meant that my career as aspiring captain of a vessel would waste itself upon this matter. The idea o truth was more appealing to me, because it showed the values I so desperately clutched to.

I knew not why or how the reverent had angered Kayo so, but she seemed to be bold enough to stand up for her values, so I would do the same for mine. She looked handsome ordering the gentlemen out form the house and I understood then that my liking for her would gradually grow in time, if she were to act bravely under such circumstances and so often.

But I hardly saw or spoke to her and I found it that her company was more appealing if she hid away in between rooms than when she came to my room and made certain to show a more scheming, evil-like side of her. After all, she would be mischievous but she was righteous and stubborn enough not to be tampered with.

As it came of a surprise, on the following day, Liesl did not show up for her music lessons, and Nancy felt compelled to step outside and watch for her, for fear that perhaps the child had come alone and had gotten lost on the way.

'Madam, I'm afraid there is no sign of her.'

By this time, I was making a few steps on my own, as slowly and as gradually as possible, leaning against the few pieces of furniture I had along the path I was exercising on. I had met with both women in the hallway, Kayo standing in between the entrance to the room where she had her music lesson and Nancy by the entrance door.

'Should I go and inquire of her at her house?'

Kayo frowned and pressed her lips together. 'No. There is no need.'

I frowned as well and stood still, but spoke nothing. Nancy stared at me confused and then at her mistress. 'Are you certain, Ma'am? I'd be back by dawn, I know I would.'

'I've said no, now go about your task!'

'But, Miss…!'

'You will do as I say. Now!'

She shut her mouth and walked away from the entrance door, while returning to her chores hurriedly. In response, her mistress shut herself in the room and I was left alone in the hall. I walked as slowly as possible towards the room and I tried finding my balance several times, screeching at my teeth before I finally reached the door knob. There was music coming from inside and I realized that she was playing at her strange instrument. As I finally managed to touch the door knob, I twisted it and the door opened. I was met with great light coming from the large screens extended towards the sea view, a room large enough to fit a ball, decorated in the very same way as the other rooms, a lavishing Oriental manner which undoubtedly had met its glory at its early stages of architecture.

The walls were painted with wallpapers of Oriental imprints and there were paper screens hanging from every wall, written with black ink, Japanese writing by hand. There were two small beautifully crafted paper screens on each corner of the room and in the middle, there was a small stage with a large strange instrument I had had a peek on during my earlier days here. It was as large as a human lying on the floor and it was covered in strings from head to toe, with white small protuberances sustaining the strings and with a large strap of Japanese silk decorating its bottom end.

Kayo was lying on her knees in front of it, with her fingers covered in small bandages where the knuckles met. The instrument was exquisite and beautiful, but the way Kayo stood beside it felt like she had always belonged beside it. She was using her bandaged fingers to play at it, a song I had heard before. When I stepped inside, she did not hear me, so was her concentration dedicated to this instrument.

'You know why Liesl will not be coming today, do you not? and I suppose you know that she would not come tomorrow or the day after tomorrow or for a very long while, for that matter. Is it not true, Madam?'

'I do.'

She refused to look at me at first, but then she raised her eyes to me and startled when she saw me by the door, leaning heavily against the door. 'Who has given you permission to enter in here, sir?'

'No one, I came of my own will.'

'Then perhaps you should reconsider doing so for next time. I do not take offenses such as these lightly.'

She stood up and walked up to the corner of the room, one of those hidden from sight by one of the beautifully crafted screens. She pulled out something from behind it and came by the door holding something of cane-like proportions. It was something of the sort, slightly curved to the middle, resembling a kind of bow, but when she came to me and handed it, I looked at me frowning as I said:

'I was not aware of the offense. What's this?'

'You may use it to keep balance, but be careful when doing so, sir. Else, you may learn to fear it.'

I said nothing, but frowning, I took it and used it as I would a cane. It gave me balance and sustenance, so I took a liking to it enough. 'Very well. Now about the matter with Liesl…'

'There is no matter, Mr. Chase. Certainly none to concern you. Now, will you please make haste and leave?'

I frowned to her, as she returned to her musical instrument. I frowned at her harshly. 'Are you seeing me out, woman?'

'Yes, I am. I have business to attend to. Would you rather I see you out from the house like I did with the reverent and his henchman?'

'I assume you refer to Connors.'

'I do indeed, sir, I am referring to Mr. Connors.'

I took a step towards her shorty, balancing myself against the new cane I was given for support. 'Have they done you wrong, madam?'

'That is none of your concern, Mr. Chase. As it is not Liesl. She has chosen not to come anymore, henceforth, our music lessons are over from this day forward.'

I took another step towards her as she took a seat on the ground in front of her instrument, while on her knees and prepared her fingers to start playing once more. 'You wish me to believe that you remain unaffected by this change, then? I think it's fair to say I've grown accustomed to your moods, and I believe you're lying to yourself if you pretend that you're alright with this arrangement.'

'And what will you have me do, sir?'

'I expect you to walk to the child's place and inquire if she is at least ill!'

Suddenly, she turned her head towards me and stared at me in spite. 'Oh, that is a fine suggestion, Mr. Chase! The finest ever! Strolling across town in sight of all those who despise me, bringing shame to myself as I walk up to a commoner's house!'

'It would seem to me the child is less a commoner than you are, madam!'

'You know nothing of the kind of person she would become.'

'And I suppose you are well aware of how her destiny may present itself for her? That is a selfish assumption, woman.'

'Don't you dare call me so, I have a name and you will call me by that name!'

'I won't call you Miss Dunn, if you refer to that, instead I will call you Kayo, because that is how children should be called: by their first name. And your behavior is no more different than a child's.'

'Mr. Chase, I'd advise you not to step off the line. I am fully aware that I am a woman and that I am at an age when most of us will run desperate for husbands and trying to make a living for ourselves. And I am also aware that I am deemed foolish and spoilt because of my young age and my sex, but I do not accept anyone jeering at me.'

'I am not jeering, I am simply stating facts. And under these circumstances, I believe you are childish.'

She suddenly stood up and there was a change in her facial features, as if she'd grown up under the process of standing up. Her figure was straight, her posture offensive and her bright blue eye glowing angered. 'The assumption has no meaning to me, sir. I will not be bent no matter how many of you men will try.'

I took a heavy step towards her, looking straight at her. 'Kayo…'

She too moved away from me, keeping the distance. 'Leave this room, sir. And do not, pray, address me so lightly.'

'You should take my advice and speak to Liesl's parents. Undoubtedly, she will not come now because that priest has spoken with her father and mother of your conduct. Is this a fair thing, not to let the child have a proper goodbye?'

'That is their choice, not mine.'

'You should be wiser, woman. Do something about this.'

'I am having no discussion into this matter any further, sir!'

She was angry now, because she was raising her voice at me and I should have been surprised, yet I had grown accustomed to her temper. She had a harsh, bad one, which shifted from one feeling to the other, simply because she had grown without a man in her life, to tame and to subdue her properly.

'I'd advise you not to speak to me in that tone, Kayo.'

'I will speak to you any way that I please, this is my house and you are my guest, whether you like it or not. I have rules in this place and you shall abide, whether you like it or not. Should you refuse, then I will have you out. There is nothing to force me from keeping you now. The bargain I had with Reverent Johnson is over and done with. If you do not like the terms I enforce upon you, then you are welcome to fetch for his henchman and have them drive you off to a better place.'

'That is selfish and arrogant of you! You are the most stubborn woman I've ever met!'

'I could not care less for your words! Now get out!'

And with this, she turned towards one of the smaller tables decorating the room and took something from on it, throwing it beside me towards the door. The object was perhaps a china which smashed into smithereens as soon as it met with the wooden surface of the door.

I looked at the pieces and then at the woman in front of me, as she faced me with her back, staring at the screen quietly, gradually calming down.

'Very well', I said frowning. 'But be aware, madam, it is this kind of conduct which convinces me of the child – not the woman – I have before me.'

As I came through the door helping myself to the cane I'd received, I noticed Nancy was staring at me from behind the half opened door to the kitchen. She pressed her lips together and came out guiltily. 'I believe your mistress is in need of your service', I told her.

'Yes, sir, I'm sorry, sir…'

Later on the very same day, when the female servant came to fetch supper for me, Nancy seemed brightened and high-spirited. She made me smile and so, I served dinner while she made sure of the open window and the cleanness of the room. just before she left, however, she stopped at the entrance and bit her lower lip fidgeting.

'What is it, Nancy?'

'Nothing, sir, it's just… w-well, I know it's none of my business and all, but seeing as how this day was… it was terrible, sir, I admit it, but I'm glad the Miss kicked that man out, I sure am. I mean Connor, sir. He's always been funny and untrustworthy, I've said that before. And he's always eyed the Miss so funnily, I really think he gave me the creeps, sir, I really do. But I also think he's been stealing from this place, I really do, sir, and I've asked around in town and they have confirmed it. He was stealing a lot of silver cutlery, sir, I'm telling you he was, and the Miss, well she found out and kicked him out. I know she did, sir, because I know I don't like her, but Miss Dunn is righteous, I vouch for that, sir, I really do. Pardon my saying so, it's not kind to speak ill of the dead, but her father was a good-for-nothing and he brought disgrace to this place before she stepped in, and I mean it, sir. There are rumours, I tell you, they are terrible, but they say that he used to drink up all his money or gamble.'

'Nancy, you know it's not good to eavesdrop or bad-mouth someone.'

'Yes, I know, sir, but I've seen you and I think you want to help Miss and she won't tell you ever how it is, but I know it's been very hard on her, I know it for certain. Everyone's got secrets, I know that, sir, but I think we should help one another and strive to be better at whatever we're good at, is it not true? Secrets never helped anyone, I mean it, sir, and people say this house's full of secrets and lies and cheats, don't be hard on the Miss, she's after all a good lot, just under a bad influence.'

I smiled kindly to her. 'I think I know that, Nancy. Thank you for telling me though. Should I take it that you like her now, that there will be no more Mr. Connors in the house?'

To this, the maid smiled widely. 'Oh, yes, sir, bless her heart! The man was giving me shivers!'

8.

No letter came for me on the following days. There was no notice to show that I would be once more contacted by those two lawyers and I doubted I would change my mind by the time they were reminded to do so.

Indeed, we received a mysterious visitor one day, a few days after the fated events mentioned previously, and I was certain that he had been sent by the ship company, but Kayo refused to see him and thus he was forced to wait until I would. As it happened, the man had indeed come in the name of the ship company who had hired us and his attempt had been once more to persuade me to change my mind, else I would bring upon me terrible consequences, such as never boarding a ship again. The threats left me cold.

'I won't abide by the rules of your company, sir, if this means I should step on the truth and lie about it. I've spoken once with the solicitors and I told them then what my opinion was of the matter. I'm not going to change my mind.'

'Mr. Chase, I don't think I've made myself clear enough. This is not a matter of choice anymore. It is simply a matter of cause and effect. If I were you, I'd certainly do some thinking to the effect itself, before I decided upon the cause. I have an agreement that I should have your name written down on your resume, so that should you ever attempt to resume your job over seas, then this would not be possible. You will need to carry the paper with you, else you will be fined greatly.'

'These threats will not get you anywhere, sir. I'm not changing my mind. I can't lie about what has happened. And what of those who perished during our fight for survival. What of those who have died and left children fatherless and wives widows? I'll be lying to myself and to them as well if I accept. Rather than carrying that burden, I'll accept that of never sailing again.'

'I see you've made up your mind, Mr. Chase, and that is your final offer, is it?'

'Yes, sir.'

'Remember, you will sign a paper to do so and this paper will be with you at all times.'

'Under what clause should I be forced to sign such damn thing?! I'm not signing anything.'

'You will, sir, else, you will pay half the price for the damage to the ship.'

'I will not sign any such paper and you won't force me. Now see yourself out, sir!'

'I am warning you, sir…!'

'Damn you and your threats! Get out!'

'Mr. Chase!'

I pushed the door aside with my shoulder, screeching at my teeth, as I came out through the main hall and I saw that Kayo had stepped out from her office, wearing a black dress with her silk large sleeved coat over. Her hair was caught up with long silver pins and she reminded once of the Oriental fashion she so strangely adopted. When seeing me upset, she eyed the man following me and frowned hard as the man stepped outside and stared at her.

'Oh, forgive me, madam.'

'No matter, sir, may I know who you are and what business brings you here?'

'This fellow came to see me, but the meeting is already over. I will have you out, my good man!' I took him by the arm brutally, with one hand and he tried pushing away.

'Mr. Chase, I'd advise you not to act like this when you are one step away from trouble!'

'What is this trouble Mr. Chase is in, pray, tell me, sir.'

I frowned and eyed Kayo, as she stared at the man who was one step away from walking out. He pushed my hand away and straightened his clothing at the collar. 'Nothing of your concern, madam. Just that you may yet harbor an indebted man who is unwilling to pay the amount of money he owes to the company management who was so kind enough to hire him.'

'Damn it, sir, I owe no one nothing!'

'What is this debt you speak of, sir?'

I looked at Kayo and I felt ashamed and angered at the same time: 'Damn it, woman, stay out of it! This man was leaving!'

But she brought on more anger to me when she gestured with one hand facing me, as if she were training a child to be quiet at her sign.

'This man, madam, must sign a paper in which he should claim never to hire himself on board a ship again. The damage brought on to his ship was most devastating for the business and we claim accusations and that offenders be punished.'

'Surely, the ship wrecked, the men perished one by one, and Mr. Chase is only the survivor. How could you accuse them of offense? Was there cause to believe that the men on board forced the ship wreck?'

'Kayo, stay out of this. And you should not say another word to this young woman. Leave at once!'

'I will not leave without the papers signed!'

'I will sign no paper! Get out!'

'Very well, I will pay the debt.'

We both turned to face the woman in between us, with her stance so straight and her face so young to be foolish enough for such a gesture.

I was more concerned and so I frowned at her. 'You are not doing this, Kayo. You will stay out of this.'

'Tell me, sir, if I pay the debt on behalf of this gentleman, then will your company management be satisfied?'

She ignored me deliberately, as she stared at the now-confused gentleman from beside me. 'I, uh, y-yes, madam. I believe so, yes.'

'And will this promise that the gentleman in question may still be allowed to set sail on board the ship, at any time and under any rank whatsoever?'

'His credits would not be removed, undoubtedly, madam.'

'Very well. The I will pay on his behalf.'

'Kayo!'

I caught her hand out of balance, while I dropped the cane to the ground, but I could not care less if the gesture had been so intimate in front of the audience. 'I won't let you do this.'

'I'd advise you, Mr. Chase, not to touch me like that, it hurts.'

'You will not do this. Do not accept the money, sir!'

The man began to speak, but Kayo jerked her hand from mine and spoke before he did. 'Oh, the gentleman will take the money alright, it is what he's come here for all along. Money has always been the problem of anything a man desires.'

'Madam, I wish you would not put it that way…'

'How else should I put it, sir? You prey on this gentleman when he has done nothing wrong, and now you've come to let me believe he has to undo the wrong he was never to be blamed for from the very beginning. Your scheming is shameful, sir, I would not take it so lightly as to speak further.'

'Kayo!'

I caught her hand before she welcomed the man into her office. She stared at me frowning. 'Don't do this.'

'You wish to return out into the sea after you have healed, is it not?'

'Yes, I do, but not under such terms.'

'They will not accept any other terms.'

She tried leaving again, but I stopped her once more. 'Kayo, please, do not do this. Please be aware of what this will appear like to everyone else. I would not want to be indebted to you, as much as you would not want to bring more gossip into town than they already have.'

'People have always gossiped of this house.'

'Please tell me that you are aware of how people must see us living under the very same roof, even under some such circumstances. Until now, we have not proven their words, but if you do this, you will most likely seal your fate in front of any future marriage perspective. I will not have you on my conscious for that.'

She frowned hard and jerked her hand gently. 'It's my money and I have no use for it. As for the prospect of marriage, I have no intention of finding a husband. If by this deed I am deemed less than a child in your eyes than a woman, that this would be enough for me.'

'Kayo, I will not have you do this just to change my opinion of you! Countless times I have heard you say that you don't care for it.'

'I am doing this, Mr. Chase, and I doubt your foe company cares where the money comes from.'

'But I do, woman, and I will not have you do this!'

'I'd like to see you try.'

She smiled at me before she walked up to the study where the gentleman was waiting for her.

'If you do this, then I am marrying you!'

To this, Nancy came out from her room and she stared at us in the hallway. Kayo ignored me and came in through the room. 'You will do not such thing.'

'Yes, I will. I will have Nancy call for Reverent Johnson.'

But disbelieving, Kayo closed the door behind her and so Nancy stared at me confused, until I frowned at the door to the mistress's study and said: 'Go!'

'Beggon your pardon, sir?'

'Call for the priest. Tell him Miss Dunn's found a husband. And he'll need to officialize the ceremony tonight.'

'But, sir…'

'You heard me, woman! Go now!'

Ten minutes later, when the man was done with the paperwork, he came out through the door from the study and without looking at me, he bid us farewell. Just before he left, I called out and said: 'You are not leaving, sir!'

'What do you mean?'

Kayo came out from the study frowning. 'What is this? The man's business is done. He has received the payment.'

I frowned hard at her. 'And I say he stays. So you will, sir, and you will bear witness to the ceremony.'

She frowned at me harder. 'What ceremony?'

'I have sent Nancy to get the wretched priest and we are going to be wed.'

'Oh, please, this is nonsense!' she laughed in my face and then she hid in her study.

The gentleman waiting with me in the hall eyed me concerned, uncertain of what he should do, but if he tried to leave, I stood in the doorway, so that he would not. There was nothing I could think of to symbolize our future married relationship, but I did remember the gift I had received from one of the ship mates, several silver rings wrapped lightly around a string of leather, hanging from around my neck. I still had it even if I often forgot it was there. So this time, I ripped it off from around my neck, examined the rings and prayed that at least one of them fitted her ring finger, as another – a larger one – certain fitted mine.

Reverent Johnson came to the place thirty minutes later, riding a horse and holding his Bible in one hand. He hurriedly came over demanding that this nonsense be explained.

'What is this, Mr. Chase! I see you sent for Nancy to give me the most outrageous news, that Miss Dunn would agree to marry. Is it so?'

'It is, sir, and we have a witness here!'

I pointed at the company staff member and he looked at both of us awkwardly. To him, the reverent smiled confused, before he turned to me. 'So, it is you whom she will be wed?'

'Yes, I am her future husband.'

The man looked at me confused, frowning and then squinting. Clearly, he had no words to describe how he suddenly felt, but I would have sworn he was incomprehensible to the very end. 'Have you gone out to play tricks to a man of the church, sir? Or has her ladyship gone completely mad?'

'I'd rather you not speak to the lady in question like this. We've agreed to wed and that is the arrangement, now can you perform the ceremony or not?'

'Yes, I could, but this is outrageous!'

'Nancy, go fetch your mistress. Pull her by the arm if she refuses to come out!'

'Now, Mr. Chase, I hardly think you should resort to such action. Perhaps you've merely suggested something and the lady misunderstood…'

'Oh, she heard me perfectly, sir!'

'And what was her answer?'

'She's indifferent to it, but not for long.'

'Mr. Chase, I think - …!'

'What is this nonsense?' Kayo's voice came out from her study, while Nancy hid behind her, before she slipped aside. When her mistress saw the priest in her home once more, her facial features went pale and she looked at me accusingly. 'What is this man doing here?'

I frowned at her and grabbed her hand gently, before I pulled her in. 'He's going to wed us, my sweet.'

'Excuse me?! Are you mad?! I will not marry anyone!'

'See there, Mr. Chase, nothing of this kind is certain.'

'Have you the proper papers for the certificate?'

'Well, yes, but…'

'Great! Then do it!'

'Mr. Chase!'

I crushed her shoulders against mine, as my arms wrapped tightly around her neck. 'Do it, Mr. Johnson. Now.'

'What is this?!'

The reverent stared at me frowning before he began his sermon quietly, speaking the words quickly. Beside me, Kayo was too confused to react, but her expression was pricelessly angry and filled with eagerness to push everyone aside. The priest shortened the sermon, and when the question came that we should wed, I said "Aye!" and gave no chance to Kayo to refuse, as I pressed a hard kiss over her mouth when she was to reply, so all she could utter was "I…" which could easily be reckoned as an affirmation similar to mine.

Her lips were soft and young, so I enjoyed kissing them. When all was done, Johnson stared frowning at me and asked if I had any rings. I pulled out mine and he slipped on larger ring over my finger while he did so with a smaller one for Kayo. 'I now pronounce you man and wife', he finalized before the woman beside me could say anything.

After this, there was a marriage certificate to be done and witnesses to sign, and to this I called Nancy and the wretched man who had come for the money, to sign the paper and have everything legalized. I took the paper and folded it, tucking it at the breast pocket of my coat before Kayo would lay an eye on it.

But she was too stunned to do anything, furthermore, she pushed my arm away brutally before she hid herself in the study. I had forced her hand to make a mark on the paper, as a signature and even this did not convince the priest that what we had done had been completely under mutual accordance.

By rights, now all that belonged to this woman belonged to me, so by definition, the money she had given to the man of the company were not hers anymore, but ours. Kayo and her house now belonged to me, along with the fortune everyone so desperately believed she had.

When all was done, I asked Nancy to see everyone out, and I took one single glance at the study room before I slowly headed for the room I was guested in. I was certain that, knowing Kayo's temper, she would be terribly upset by now and would not speak to me for a great deal.


	5. Stubbornness and the Koto

9.

The weather following after this was foul and filled with anger. It rained heavily and the sky cracked several time sunder the weight of the lightning bolts. The sea was tumultuous and uncalmly, crashing the waves against the beachside. For a few hours, as it heavily rained, the waters grew gradually, but no matter how much it took them to grow, they would not reach the house or the front porch, for that matter.

I could hear Kayo – or better said, my new wife – in the music room, playing at her instrument concentrated and unmissing a single string. She had been angry since the brief wedding ceremony and we had hardly spoken since then. But the effect had been most benefic, for no one bothered us for a time and Nancy had even mentioned that most of the evil rumours addressed to the mistress of the house had gradually ceased and that not only had they gone, but that new ones appeared with people assuring others that they had been the first to assume this woman would marry before the end of this year.

I came to realize that perhaps under the weight of this small community, not only had I made a fool out of the woman I was married to, but I had also entrapped myself perhaps in a marriage I would not have gotten myself into. I had taken a deep liking to this woman and there were few things unlikeable of her. She was young and fresh, fetching to the eye and she was no uneducated child at all. By all means, she was fortunate as well, and as stubborn and brave as any man would be. But I hardly knew the depths of who she really was and why she had come to be here in the first place. Same would have gone for myself as well, she knew very little of me and the knowledge perhaps which she held helped create a most unfortunate image, perhaps that of a gold-digger, a stranger who enjoyed making a fool of any young single woman he met on the path of his life.

I decided to draw near to this woman, apply the rules of any newly married man and try to make amends for the abrupt, impulsive decision I had made for the both of us. But as soon as the following day came, this woman refused to see me, if anything, she locked herself in the study and refused to speak or to handle orders, convinced that now, had she a husband, I would do better to order around than she would. But the truth in fact was that – although I now shared everything which was rightfully hers – I still believed the house bore no relation to me and I was still yet in preparation to become its head. That was how I knew however that this woman had stubbornly agreed to herself that she would surpass her chores as head of the house to me – a righteous thing by written paper in accordance to the marriage certificate – but she did so in spite, because she knew I would not be able to handle everything orderly, myself knowing so little of the place.

Soon, Liesl came by with her mother, a young woman of thirty-seven and a beautiful one at that, and she knew to speak to Kayo of her daughter's music lessons, apologizing for the absence. I knew all too well the child had gone missing because of the foul rumours perhaps the reverent had spread, but now that things were settled in the house, such nonsense would no longer be available, and perhaps the mother conceived to let her child continue on with the lessons, for there would be nothing shameful of it. Yet, even to this, Kayo refused to accept anyone, claiming that it was "her husband's choice alone that she carry on with the task at hand". I smiled guiltily, while Liesl eyed me curiously, before she smiled widely.

'Oh, how wonderful! And you make sure a lovely couple, don't they, Mommy?'

'A fine one indeed, if I may say so myself, my dear. Please to excuse the boldness, sir, but this is indeed good news, I take it.'

'Thank you, Madam.'

'Pray tell me, sir, when this this fortunate event occurred? I am certain Father Johnson officialized everything, yet he mentioned nothing to us. But I will admit, sir, to my simple-mindedness that there have been rumours…'

'It only occurred a few days ago, Madam. It was, uh, quite sudden, I suspect.'

'Oh, that is wonderful indeed, and how dreadfully romantic! Permit me to invite you to dine at our house, I am certain Liesl would be positively enchanted by the idea!'

'Oh, yes, please, Christopher, you must come to our house! Papa would love you hear the tales you often tell about your sailing adventures!'

I smiled, confused at the child's holding my arm, while she smiled widely, so optimistic and her mother behind her, encouraging the communication and the invitation itself. I stared at her smiling charmingly, unable to decide for myself, and so I took one glance at the woman beside her, following in the darkness of the study, the door of which she had left open when the guests arrived.

Kayo was staring at the child and at the mother with both hands glued together calmly in front of the dress and her expression bore no feeling whatsoever. I could see she was determined to make my life miserable, now that I had forced her into a decision she did not like one bit. 'What say you, wife?' I asked her in spite myself, and to the title I gave her, her eyes glowed with hatred. She looked away.

'It is your decision entirely.'

I pressed my lips together and then I smiled to Liesl who practically begged while staring into my eyes. She smiled widely when I nodded to her and agreed to the arrangement. Even Nancy heard the fine news and was smiling to know that she'd finally loosen up on her chores and she would at least be busier with the preparations necessary for such a visit.

Liesl's mother was very happy upon the news and because of my health problem, she offered to send her carriage to carry us to the house down town. At first, I offered to thank her kindly and that she should not bother that we would find a way to come, but she insisted, and so I had to agree to the arrangement.

After they left, it was agreed that the dinner invitation would be consumed a day from now and that Nancy should start with preparations as soon as possible. For once, she would need to buy myself appropriate clothes for the occasion and even though I found it strange, I heard Kayo ask her in a low voice that I should be given her father's clothes, so well kept in one of the upstairs bedrooms.

Nancy was all too happy for the arrangement and she washed and ironed most of the day without complaining. I was left to wonder the house alone, training on my lump leg and with the makeshift cane I was given, while my wife did everything to avoid coming in contact with me.

Under the circumstances, I was also give the keys to the rooms, so I was now able to roam freely without accusation, except for the key to my wife's study, which she refused to give under any circumstances. I made no use for other keys as well, which is why I agreed to the task without comment.

But I gradually met with the place and discovered the manor had two extra bedrooms, two bathrooms, a changing room, a small tea room and a ballroom, along with a large incorporate foyer which enclosed the most beautiful sea view I'd ever seen. The windows were barred in glass and steel bolts, the floor glass-like and thick enough to sustain a great weight of many people, there were a few pieces of furniture decorating the place and there was a single simple makeshift bed by the side of the large windowed walls, showing off the beach side, the wild sea and the distant lighthouse.

I was told that this was one of my wife's favourite places, which she visited often, so I asked Nancy that she prepare it for a second one as well. She understood what I meant and smiled, handling the task quickly. I sat by the windows and stared at the wild sea for a while, remembering the times when I went at sea and I played a foolish waterboy.

Soon, the door opened and slowly, it creaked under the weight of the pusher. Finally, the squeaking ceased and I realized that the person was not Nancy because she would have entered without such slow gestures.

This person pulled the door shut. 'Do not leave. Come here beside me for a while.'

I could feel her compel because she knew that she needed to abide. It took her a while however and when Kayo finally came by my side, her hands were both held down enclosed in fingers, while she was frowning. She was no longer wearing the silk coat she enjoyed wearing before and her hair was braided to one side, all of this just to show me that she'd changed her ways because of me and that I should either be pleased or regretful of myself.

'I'm told this is your favourite room from the house. I can understand why.'

She stood silent.

'You must be spending a long time here if you had Nancy prepare a bed for you in this chamber. The view is breathtaking, I believe, especially at break of dawn.'

From the corner of my eyes, I watched her behavior, but she was determined to show herself obedient, yet non-submissive. But the false silver ring was still enclosed on her middle finger and I understood that however stubborn and mischievous this woman may be, Kayo in essence was loyal and took such rituals seriously. The ring caught my attention and it was the only thing to force my mind into conversing furthermore.

'I apologize for this, I should have offered much better for your hands. I assume the ring feels fake and unfitting.'

'It does actually. It's heavy and it's unsuitable for my delicate fingers. It falls off constantly and sometimes I have to wash off the dirt from it.'

She was saying this to spite me. 'I will offer you a better one when the time comes.'

'I will not want another. This one's a whole lot itself.'

'Kayo, I can understand your anger.'

'Oh, I think you do not. You haven't the slightest idea.'

I frowned at her. 'You are a very stubborn woman, are you not? And a proud one at that. You must have had a mind of your own since a very young age. Well, I've had one too, Kayo, and you should imagine how I should have felt when I saw a perfect stranger, a woman by all means, make use of her money to pay a debt she had no relation to the payment. And the burden of it was mine alone, Kayo, and you foolishly believed that you could wipe it off without any consequences! Do you realize how it would have looked like to anyone, had I agreed to the arrangement? News travels fast in these parts and I assure you, if the townsmen had anything unkind of you to speak of, then paying my debt under no obligation whatsoever would have sealed it under any circumstances.'

'Then perhaps I should not have had you in the house to begin with. You have brought nothing but misfortune to me.'

I frowned harder and felt insulted. 'Perhaps you should not have, Madam!'

She looked away. 'Well, rejoice! The house is yours now, as am I. You may do with us as you please.'

'You should not have it this way, woman! The place is and will always be yours.'

'The money is yours as well. Whatever is left of it. You are, as of this week, a rich man, Mr. Chase. And by laws of this world, the money will be yours, even if I leave or die.'

I frowned harder. 'Don't be foolish, woman! You will not leave and you will not die! And I'm not touching a cent without your consent. Stop dramatizing, this is no game! You played with fire, Kayo, now this is the punishment. I've said I would wed you, but you refused to believe. This is as much your blame as it is mine.'

'You know nothing of me, sir. You've no idea who you have married.'

'If you are threatening me, woman, I'll have you know, they have no effect on me whatsoever. You do not scare me, Kayo. If anything, I should say you are frightened of me. There is no reason to, because I've never treated a woman unkindly and I certainly would not a woman who is now my wife.'

She suddenly turned to stare at me frowning hard and then she eyed the ring around my finger. She eyed hers and then she stared at the sunset by the beachside. 'Everything of mine belongs to you now.'

'I won't have you change for me, woman. You can go about your daily chores as you please and you may play along with your stubborn childish games if that is what makes you happy. What we share is but a title and nothing more. I am well aware that there are no feelings in between.'

'No! And there will never be! Because I am now locked in a cage.'

And then she turned around and left. 'Woman, you will not say such things, they are infantile!'

'I will say as I please, husband!'

I tried relating to her once more before the dinning at Liesl's house. This time, some time in the afternoon of the following day, I asked Nancy of the usage of so many Oriental issues around the house and she spoke of her mistress's dowry. She brought all available documents on the family ancestry and she told me that it was fine I should read the all now, that the woman belonged to me and so did everything she owned. And while she went about her chores, I read about Sir William Dunn and his fortunate upbringing but his gullible childish manners.

I realized I had done a mistake trying to relate to this woman in such a way, for as I went on reading papers, documents and birth certificates, I managed to decipher a most intriguing tale, that this man had the opportunity to travel abroad over to the Far East, to the Chinese and the Japanese and that in his travels, he had done the misfortune of losing money and gambling. He was a foul character, to begin with, and the only thing to pull him out of trouble was the fact that he had money to pay on the debts and the problems.

Yet, once, about twenty or so years ago, this man in his late thirties, a dashing witty, yet gullible young man, found a brothel nearby in the depths of Kyoto, the old imperial city, and in this brother, he took a night with a Japanese woman, by the name of Ima. This woman was beautiful and most distinguished, but she was also bought by the owner of the brother and she could not leave the place without someone buying her own. The woman was ten years the man's senior, but she was gentle and docile, strange features for a prostitute. As men went, and so gullible ones at that, the young man fell into a deep crush for this woman and he had her for the most part of her belonging there.

A child was born and the man felt compelled to buy the woman out, but not the child. He knew very little of children and he also thought that once he brought the child in with the woman, then the woman would most definitely concentrate on her own creation than her lover. So, he left the child to a rounin at the time, a masterless samurai, a man called Toshihiro Masamune and this man probably raised the child as his own, but feared that it should not need to be made a warrior like himself.

And when the time came, and the samurai class was abolished from Japanese society, this man, Masamune, came to Europe under poor conditions, with the child now thirteen years of age and he came up to this Dunn bloke's house and left the child there to be properly taken care of, while he went off and never came back.

In exchange and as a parting gift, the man left the child with all his Japanese traditions and belongings, as small as they may be. This fellow, William Dunn, took the child in, for now his lover had died and he raised the child to be his own, but under the same gullible, gambling-like manners, while the child grew up to be distant, cold and righteous as her fake father was. By the time, this Dunn fellow died, the child became a woman and she was engulfed in her Oriental teachings, because she believed them to be truer and must better than the life she had with her real father. The child's name was Kayo Masamune, but upon her new father's adoption, she took the name of Dunn.

So, when I finished reading this tale, I made a heavy walk towards her study and found that for some reason, she had left it open. I had never gone to her room, but it looked empty, darkened and filled with Oriental objects as other rooms. Yet, this place held a large portion of the most exquisite Oriental decorations I'd ever seen and a quarter of this place was occupied by a large wooden carved chest, which was sealed with a piece of wood peg wrapped in a black old cloth and stuck to refusal in between to large iron bolts.

I figured this is what Kayo treasured the most, so it would be most inappropriate that I tried to pry it open. I had heard from Nancy before that people who have seen this corner of her study had naturally assumed that there lied a most important treasure, perhaps all the money she owned or perhaps golden jewelry and treasury as inheritance from her biological father.

I just stood there in her empty study, the dim light from the candles blowing or dancing on the walls as if caressed by the sea breeze. She was singing by the porch, her saddened songs, and now I seemed to understand why they were so.

There had been several days since we had been pronounced man and wife and so far, the relationship had been tensioned and darkened by the stubbornness of her and my own as well, as I tried to push myself into this home, while I healed and I refused to believe that I would ever return home, that I would be forced to make a living here instead of trying to return home.

I knew I was not allowed to pardon in her intimate space represented by the study, but I still spent some time there, imagining what it was like twenty or so years ago for this woman to grow under the rule of a Japanese empire and to feel like she belonged in between worlds, instead of just one. How she must have felt to be raised in poverty by a mere soldier and how she had grown to fortune by being taken in by an equally fortunate man.

I had been raised by a mother in a family of ten and I had known what poverty was, yet my destiny had been subscribed to know which path to take. I would not be tampered with or stepped on, but she would not wish to settle in for what life gave her, because she knew there would be a lot more to expect. The entire set of moral values separated us, because the way I thought would be clearly different than from the way she believed to be.

'What are you doing here?'

I hadn't realized the music had stopped and that she had come in through the half opened door. I had been caught red-handed, or so they said. I looked around and pretended not to say anything apologetic. 'I was under the impression that I would be allowed inside each room.'

'Not in this one.'

She stepped aside from the door and looked away angrily. 'I suggest you leave, sir. This place is my own alone and we have agreed that you would have the rest of the house, but this.'

I took a step towards her. 'We have not agreed upon anything, woman. Because all you have done is shut yourself away from your husband and from this house, making certain at the same time how I should be constantly aware of the mistakes I have done when I chose to force you into marriage. You are making it very difficult for me, you know.'

'You said that there are no feelings involved, so why should it matter to you what I do and what you do separately?'

'Perhaps you haven't realized it yet, you obstinate woman, but I am trying to get to know you!'

'I do not wish to know you, sir.'

'That is a pity, I rather think of myself as a nice fellow', I smiled gently, jokingly. 'Come here a minute, Kayo, and close the door behind you.'

'No, I will not.'

'Are you afraid of me?'

'N-no, I am not!'

'Then come here.'

'I will not.'

I pressed my lips, as I stared at her being obstinate and indignant. She could be very spoiled at times, and very stubborn, quite close to resembling a mule, but I was certain she meant no harm.

'Very well, then I will come to you.'

'I will not wait.'

'Don't be a silly child!'

'I am not a child! But I will not play this infantile game with you, Mr. Chase, I do not have a care for it.'

'It is you, Mrs. Chase, who is playing games, and not I.'

'Don't call me that!' she waved her hand away so powerfully, the ring slipped off and hit the ground hard, banging also against the wooden objects nearby. The silver ring fell off under the heavy looking chest, but its hard banging was enough to make both of us startle.

'Please do not tell me that was your wedding ring, wife! And might I remind you that you bear my name now? It's only natural that you are called Mrs. Chase and I suggest you should get used to it.'

'I hate the name!'

'That, my dear, is a childish assumption.' I spoke as I slowly bent down to find the ring, but the pain in my le began at the first movement. So I screeched at my teeth and made a huge effort not to shout. The woman would not bulge from her position, as if I were a monster prepared to eat her for supper, and she would be locked in a cage with me, frightened of my very movements. 'Kayo, come here and help me find your ring.'

'You're married me, sir, without any consent of mine, so you find it! On your own!'

'Woman, I'm starting to think you enjoy being ordered around! Come here, I said! Why must you be so disobedient?! Have I wrong-done you so? As I have heard, your father has done much greater damage so much that I could not fathom to reach the gravity of it with my mistake. Now, come here and help me!'

The affirmation seemed to force a growl out from her, but she came closer to the sight and bent down gracefully. She began searching for the ring on her own, beside me and for a while, we worked as a team at close range and in quietness.

'There is something I need to tell you and I'd advise you to be calm about it. Although I've grown so used to your fits of rage, woman, I am almost certain you will bang me over the head.'

'What is it?!' she asked impatiently.

'I've looked over the family records. I've read about your situation, about your father's. And something of your origins.'

I expected her to scream at me, but she ceased searching for her ring, instead, she sat on the ground quietly. 'Then you know.'

'Aye, I do, wife.'

I finally found the wretched thing under the chest and I brought it up under the candle light. I eyed it for any dust speck and I blew through it to swipe off the cobwebs from in between.

'And you are not bothered by it.'

'You've no idea of my beginnings, Kayo. We all have secrets to hide. One day, I shall tell you of mine and perhaps you would be bothered. But I am certainly not bothered by yours. Because it was not even your fault.'

I handed the ring to her. 'Here you are, silly woman.'

She looked away frowning. 'It is bad luck that a wife should put on her ring.'

To this I pressed my lips and took her small hand in mine. With the other, I pushed the ring onto her middle finger. 'There. Is the game over now, woman?'

She frowned harder and muttered: 'This is no game.'

'Very well, then I propose something to you then. Each day you are given the task of asking me two questions about myself. Nothing related to us or of my family, but of myself. You should do so for the following week, on a span of seven days. Anything you wish to ask, you will do so and I should be forced to answer.'

'What is this new trickery?'

'It's no trickery, woman, I'm simply trying to make you know me better.'

'But I wish not to.'

'You will, if we are married from this day forward. And besides, if tomorrow we are to meet with Liesl's parents, they will most certainly ask questions of us.'

'This is silly!' she stood up angrily, but I smiled to her childishly, thus asking her to help me stand. She frowned and refused at first to do so, but finally, she permitted me to wrap one arm over her neck.

'You may start by questioning me now. "What is my name" and "What is your age" will not do. You already know my name and I shall state my age as bonus. I am thirty-two years of age. I believe I am your senior by nine?'

'That will not make you the wiser, sir', she answered spitefully. 'And by the way, if we are in this game together, then perhaps you should ask the same of me. Only, you are allowed but a question a day. And you shall start your game by tomorrow.'

She brushed away any signs of dust over her shoulder. 'And you are actually eight years my senior, sir. My birthday was a couple of days before your arrival.'

I pressed my lips together and was given the cane in return. 'So, your questions for the day, woman.'

She looked up at me and I could see her bright blue beautiful eyes sparling with confusion. She was yet uncertain should she play the game or not. 'Do you enjoy being a sailor?'

'Aye, I do. Very much.'

'And.. do you regret I have paid the debt you owed to that gentleman?'

I looked up at her thoughtfully, and for once, she looked back at me. Her hair was kept down, with her braided tail to one side. She wore a usual black dress without the silk coat on.

'I do not, Madam. I thank you for it.'

This time, she slightly blushed and looked away. 'I make no use of my money. And now they are yours. You may pay any debt you need with them.'

'I have no other. Are you done with your two questions?'

'Yes, I am. If you are done, sir, admiring the room, then perhaps you should kindly step outside, I have some business to attend to, none of which concern you.'

'Charming as ever, are you not?' I grinned at her convinced of her stubbornness, but I respected her request and stepped outside from the room soon enough, as fast as my beaten-up leg would permit me.

10.

Nancy was enthusiastic to help me with cleaning several pieces of clothing to get them ready for the evening dine at Liesl's parents.

Most of them were from my wife's father's clothing and some of them were of the best quality, very well kept and freshened at least once a day. She perhaps may not have respected her former father greatly, yet she showed considerate affection to his belonging and to the way she conceived to protect her family heirloom. Perhaps she believed that herself and her mother had been wronged a long time ago by this William fellow, but in essence, the man had been her father for her better part of her life and he had signed her as his sole successor.

I was given a fine white shirt, velvet dark brown pants and a navy-blue velvet overcoat. I had shaved a few days ago, so now there was no need, for I had gotten used to being a sailor for a very long time and I grew to hate looking as manly as possible.

I spent the better part of my day preparing for the upcoming dining, until I was done and I waited for Nancy to make the last of the preparations by cleaning my shoes. I had tried making her leaving this task to myself, but she refused to do so, because she was all too pleased that I had become her mistress's husband, and by definition, her master; I considered that thus, she believed that no other man shall set foot in this house with foul intentions, for there would no longer be a reason. Only then, did I realize that I had suddenly been named the richest man in the area, having been married to the woman most fortunate from town.

As the preparations were done, I threw out several remarks about rearranging the rooms differently and Nancy kept telling me that I would be able to do so now, since I was the master of the place. She assured me that for this matter alone, my wife would no longer be an impediment, for a wife's duty was to listen to her husband and to sustain him in each and every decision he would make of his own accordance.

I could not see Kayo agree to any arrangement without argument or commentary against my will, so I had to disagree to Nancy's ideas mutely. Yet, I said nothing, instead I waited until she was done and then I exercised against the make-shift cane through the chambers, so as not to seem a great impediment to the others. My beaten-up leg was feeling better gradually, especially with a new treatment the doctor had predicted to me – he too had been surprised to know that since his last visit, I had married the mistress of the house – yet, my movements were still slow and gradual.

When Kayo came down from her room, she was wearing a dark purple dress, with a large neck line, fixed onto her pale shoulders, holding up a silk-like shawl, with Japanese motifs imprinted on it. Her hair fell over her shoulders, before she brought it all behind and caught it with a thick ribbon. She might not have looked as pretty as other women would have, due to her pale skin and her light blue eyes, but she had a kind of charisma of her own which she emanated thankful to her independence and her stubbornness.

Her facial features were appealing enough for me, however, so I smiled kindly to her as she came down to the hallway from her chamber.

'You look very fetching, wife.'

I expected no comment from her, instead she glared at me silently. 'I thank you, sir, but you needn't be this polite towards me.'

'I am not polite, woman, I am being honest. Would you rather I lied and told you that you look like an ugly little duckling?'

I smiled and offered her my arm, for the carriage belonging to our hosts had arrived. She frowned at me, pressed her lips together and hesitated touching me, bringing both her hands at her lap, entwining her fingers, before she walked up to the entrance door. 'Nancy, please see to the house while we are gone.'

'Yes, madam.'

She held the door for us to step outside, and it must have been some time since Kayo had done this, for she startled before heading out into the cold sun-setting weather. I came following her with my cane, before we met with the carriage and the porter greeted us before he came down from his seat and opened the small door for us to come inside.

I stopped beside my wife, but noticed that she would not come inside, instead she too had stepped aside. She frowned at me: 'Please come inside.'

'You should be first, Kayo.'

She eyed me strangely, before she came inside the carriage first, after which I followed. My first reaction was to sit opposite her and give her space, yet hesitantly, my legs dangled against hers under the dress and she pulled them both to one side, so we would not make any physical contact. She looked away and I stared at her frowning. When she looked at me, I smiled childishly.

'What is it?'

'I am thinking maybe I should make use of my question towards you before we arrive. Here it is: How long has it been since you've left your home, Kayo?'

She squinted at me before the carriage began moving and she turned to gaze at the sea. 'It has been a while.'

'I don't suppose your father kept you locked in the house at all times. You had chances to step outside.'

'I had chances, but had not the will.'

'Were you frightened?'

'I am afraid, sir, you have already made use of your question of the day regarding my previous life.'

I breathed in deeply, rethinking the strategy. I looked at the sea and the waves crushing the sandy beach and the ride took a good twenty moments or so in silence and without anything to speak of. When it was time to step out, I was the first to come down and even though I had one arm free, for the other hand made use of the cane, I stretched it so that my wife would take it and come down from the carriage. Once more, Kayo hesitated, and she searched for the porter's hand in help. It took hers harshly, frowning at her, before she accepted it. But her fingers were cold, and delicate, pale and hesitant.

She brushed off the possible dust from her dress, while I saw Liesl come out from the large house by the side of a small front garden decorated in rose beds and bushes, green lush ivy and small decorative trees.

'You've come! Oh, how lovely! Oh, Miss D… Mrs. Chase, you look so pretty!'

My wife nodded frowning, without so much as smiling, although Liesl shifted her hands from her dress hems to the woman she now had in front of her, in an attempt to touch her and to take her hands in hers. I could see the tension Kayo was going through, staring at this child like it was a small demon coming after her. For some reason, I imagined this was a new experience to her and that she may not enjoy it as well. In fact, as Liesl came to her, Kayo frowned harder and took a step backwards, without appearing to back in retreat, so I felt compelled to interfere, by asking Liesl of her parents.

The child stopped in her tracks and looked at me confused, before she nodded and smiled widely. 'Oh, Christopher! You look very handsome, Daddy will like you so much! Oh, everyone is inside, come! Come, we need to come inside! Oh, you are going to love what we've prepared for you!'

She took my arm and wrapped her hand around it, pulling me towards the house, but her mother came forth, smiling to us gently. She greeted us with a light curtsy and frowned at her daughter, asking her to set me free, because it was not proper that she behave in this way towards her guests. I smiled and assured the parent that the gesture had been innocent and unoffensive.

The mother welcomed us in the house and I turned to follow in with my wife. Kayo looked at the road from which we had come and there was something in her behavior which felt strange to the bone. I could see now that she felt awkward, unbelonging to this place, unrelated to the context or wanting to be in the presence of any other place other than her own. I needed to assure her that she would not be alone in this. So I took her hand in mine and she startled, her first reaction to pull of her fingers.

'You needn't worry, wife, I will be with you.'

'Of course you will', she replied coldly, but I took her hand in mine and would not let go. Her fingers were cold and rigid, as if she vehemently refused to belong to anyone else, but herself.

Soon, we came in the house and we were greeted by Liesl's mother and father who introduced themselves and then welcomed us to the guestroom. At this point, without paying attention, Kayo pulled her hand from mine and gathered them at her lap politely, yet frowning.

'It is very lovely of you both to accept our humble invitation', Liesl's mother spoke as she eyed both of us kindly. 'My husband was positively thrilled at the idea and I must agree, now that I see you both, my child had been right to assume that you make such a lovely couple. Do they not indeed, my love?' she smiled widely to her husband, who was tall and well-built.

'Yes, indeed. Mr. Chase, I have heard so much about you since you've arrived in town, but I am ashamed to say all have bene gossip, for health has not been able to permit you within these parts and deploy any such lies gossip spreads.'

'It's alright, I must confess, Mr. Foster fed me on the latest gossip. I have to say my coming here was both a blessing – because I am alive – as much as a relief. The place is very quiet and very beautifully set on the coastline.'

'You being a man of the sea, I assume you must miss it terribly.'

'I do, sir, indeed.'

I walked ahead with the man, as they made room towards the guestroom, where they served tea and biscuits. Behind us, the women followed, and I could hear only Liesl and her mother's voice, for I knew Kayo was hesitant enough to speak to any of them. I could hear them complimenting her, asking her of the quality of the dress, the material, commenting on her style of hair and on the prettiness of her hands, the conduct of her manner, all everso politely, for they were bluntly curious, yet kind at heart and well-intended.

Liesl informed her mother of how well my wife played the instrument they called koto and her mother expressed the wish to once hear her daughter sing in the very same way. Finally, to this, I heard Kayo speak:

'She may be able to play it exquisitely one day.'

Her voice was faint and shy, but it told that she was struggling to integrate. For some reason, I watched her from the corner of my eyes proudly, for she now belonged to me, yet she felt as if I had only grown to know her slightly since this day.

'Do you believe so, Miss?'

'I believe the correct term you should use, Liesl, is "Mrs. Chase". The young lady here is now a happily married woman. We should not make offense to Mr. Chase here.'

'It's alright', Kayo said again. 'I take no offense. Liesl may call me however she pleases.'

'You are ever so kind, Mrs. Chase. Now, may I be so bold as to ask something of you, to sort through the horrid and the confusing gossip I have heard throughout town? I apologize beforehand if I take offense, I mean none at all. But I have heard, as Liesl told me, that you have come from the farthest land, called Japan. Tell me, madam, is it true, what they have spoken there? That the Emperor has taken cause to lead the country into modernity?'

'I am not sure, madam, I… I believe so, yes.'

'Is their culture any different from ours? And is it true what they speak of, that they are familiar with the Portuguese, but not to us?'

'I believe so, madam, I am not certain.'

'Be that as it may, I am convinced their music is one of the finest. And may I say, Mrs. Chase, the manner of your playing the instrument koto must be one of the finest, for my child cannot get enough of listening to it, she hums it daily. Pray, do tell me, madam, when is it that you have learned to study this difficult instrument?'

'I took to learning when I was five, madam.'

'Had you a teacher then?'

'Yes, there have been several. The matter of my growing up, however, is … difficult to explain. Suffice to say that I have not parted from the instrument since five years of age. I had practiced ever since and I have never felt the feeling of knowing anything else to study.'

'My husband has known a man from Japan once. They have come to the continent to study, you see. My husband finds them intelligent and very diligent at their tasks. They are very interesting to physique as well. And I have heard the ladies have the most exquisite of clothing style. What is it it's called that they wear so lovely and delicate?'

'Kimono, madam. You may call it this way.'

'Quite so. I have seen pictures of them. Do they look similar to any of the paintings we seen around here, madam?'

'I believe they do, madam, yes.'

'Oh, how thrilling! Oh, but I am the worst of hosts, for I have swarm you with questions, without serving a drop of tea! Please forgive me, yet this is my first time speaking to someone who has been t the land and who knows firsthand-knowledge of what could be found there.'

'They are not any different than us, for they are human as much as we are.'

'Of course they are! Oh, and may I add, your name, madam, it is gorgeous and charming. I have heard they give names of great significance to their children. Does your name bear any meaning, madam, pray tell us.'

'It does, madam. Yet, the significance is complicated. Their names are based on Japanese characters and depending on the meaning of those characters, thus is the meaning of the name.'

'Oh?'

'For instance, the characters for my name may well be a combination of "beautiful" and "gift" or "blessing" and yet another combination which could be related to words such as "night" and "entertainer". Sadly, my name bears no other significance, except for the latter.'

To this, I startled and straightened up in my chair, looking at my wife, while Liesl's mother frowned and then she opened her mouth to speak. Finally, she understood the meaning of the conversation and before her confused-still daughter questioned what they all meant to say, she smiled forcedly. 'Oh, I apologize, I did not mean to be intruding so, Mrs. Chase.'

She then looked up at me desperate and for some reason, I could understand her incomprehension, that she would assume Kayo's background was as subtle as a woman's from the brothers and that I had been tied to a rather unworthy woman, at that. Yet, the truth mattered not, for I knew Kayo's past no longer mattered now.

She would have a different path from now on, yet I too had been surprised to learn that she had bene given the name of her mother's profession. Perhaps the woman needed reminder that she needed to provide a better life for the child, precisely because of the low kind of profession she had.

'There is no offense to take, madam, the both meanings are quite harmless, so to speak. This name, in fact, is very commonly used in Japan and if anything so, parents use it as blessing to their female child. It may well be unrelated to the child or the child's parents' profession or origins.'

'Oh, I see.'

The woman smiled relieved and then she swiftly changed the subject to a better judgement, and when she stood up to call for a maid, to prepare the dining table, Liesl and my wife were left alone.

The child being small, yet fascinated perhaps at seeing her former music teacher married now and wearing a different garment than usual, she tried to touch and relate to the woman, yet Kayo frowned at her hard, unsmiling and thus prevented from showing her affection of any kind.

Liels smiled to her and winked. 'I knew you would marry Christopher. He's a very nice man. I like him.'

'Thank you, Liesl, I shall inform him of your praising.

'You are very formal, Miss. Mommy never talks about Daddy like that. I think he would have liked it, but Mommy thinks Daddy always knows when she loves him. Do you love Christopher?'

'That is a very personal question, young lady and I will not hear it from you.'

'I'm sorry, Miss. Oh! I meant to give you something, Miss. May I? Mommy thinks you should accept it as a wedding gift. Oh would you, please? It's very nice!'

'Behave yourself, young lady.'

'Right away, Miss!'

The child sprinted off out from the room and she left my wife alone, while I spoke with the child's father and another one of his guests. In total, we were eight and I assumed we would stay this way. I was questioned of the ship wreck and of how I had ended up at Dove's Cottage. After a while, when the subject was exposed, at dinner time, while we stood at the table, Kayo beside me and Liels beside her, I was questioned of our marriage and of the fortunate event's occurrence. To this, my wife kept quiet, while I gave a few details of it. The women at the table thought it dreadfully romantic, although the woman beside me found nothing interesting of it.

Among these women were Liesl's two aunts, both married and in their late forties, while her first cousin, Lydia, was sixteen and she eyed me strangely affectionate. I assumed because I was a handsome man and because she believed I was so, for some reason, wearing my wife's father's finest clothes. Yet, I felt I did not belong to their silky, clean little orderly world, because there was too much compromising at hand. I much preferred being truthful and strong at will, rather than lie about how I truly felt.

Beside me, I felt Kayo showed the same manners and feelings, the odd combination of refusing to compromise and having no choice in the matter. And then I noticed she wore a small package at her side, prettily wrapped in and I frowned at it. Perhaps, Liesl had given it to her as a gift or perhaps she had received it from our hosts, but rather the way she looked now so fetching, so quiet and so odd, she deserved any gift she was given.

When the food was served, perhaps she felt strange to begin eating, while the rest of us brought forth our hands and began using the forks and the knives. I took one of her hands in mine and I squeezed it encouragingly. She looked up at me frowning. After this, Kayo looked away and began eating slowly. But she ate very little and refused to drink anything except water. When asked why she would not take a drop of alcohol, at least sherry as women did, she argued that she took no liking to the drink of our kind, but that she was too used to the Japanese sake.

The male host laughed and amusingly excused himself for not having the drink at hand. It only added to my wife's embarrassment and awkwardness. It was clear that she felt no longer of this world and that she did not wish to continue on with staying here any longer.

The last straw was when one of the female guests made reference at the wedding rings we shared and at their distinctive taste, the quality of the material, obviously nothing compared to real silver or gold which hung around other women's fingers at this era, and Kayo seemed to be terribly discomforted by the comment. In fact, she quickly hid her ringed hand away and pretended to ignore the comment.

Soon, I figured it was time that we left, so we made dispose of our departure when the hosts kindly lent their carriage to us a second time. Before saying goodbye, Liesl's mother apologized to us if ever we had been distressed by several inappropriate comments or gestures made throughout the evening, and I smiled to her assuring her that everything had been alright. I could say that my wife disagreed to it, yet I spoke nothing of it.

Finally, we arrived at home, and while I heard the carriage leave the house, we met with Nancy in the hall and before I could speak anything to her, the mistress dismissed her to her home down town.

'Kayo…'

I tried speaking to her before she headed for her room, but my wife refused to even look at me.

'Good night to you, Mr. Chase.'

'Kayo, I am your husband, and I would rather have you call me by my given name, that is Christopher.'

Yet, before this was finished, she shut the door in front of me, to no further comment.

The small wrapped gift she had received from her young former pupil was left on a small table by the entrance hall, so I took it and brought it in my room. I unwrapped it and discovered it was a very lovely, delicately built music box. It resembled Japanese decorations, such as a young lady-in-waiting playing at yet another smaller Japanese musical instrument.

I set it aside on the night table, thinking of giving it to my wife on the following morning.


	6. Hidden storm

11.

It had begun to rain heavily by the time I had managed to fall asleep. I had listened to the music box play several times, as I thought of the discussions going on throughout the evening, while we had been guests at Liesl's parents' house and the more I thought it through, the less I believed that I should try to relate to my wife forcedly without struggling to understand her first.

I rested for a few hours, before something in the middle of the night woke me up. At first, I felt convinced to be within the dream I had dreamt.

I had dreamt of finding myself on the ship. The ground was slowly shaking with me, cradling me into sleep, the movement so gentle and so familiar to me, it could never have been threatening to myself. In fact, if anything, the swinging called to me to stand up on my feet and head for the sea waiting for me by the beachside.

The attempt had been made and I stretched my hand to grab the make-shift cane, using it to help myself as I stood up. For the first part of the movement, I felt my hands numb and needless, as if I hadn't made use of the muscles in a while.

I used the cane to help myself out from the bed and stretch my legs up on the floor. The movement took another while, but the cradling would not cease, and for a while, I felt as if the rooms had shrunk in size and that the smell of water and of waves crashing against the surface of the wooden drenched ship filled the surrounding like fire under smoke. I moved to the exit, and I pushed the door aside.

I seemed to have called my second-in-command, but there was no answer. I remembered his face as we watched him walk the plank, forced to do so by the pirates. The way he had stared at me before he had taken the last of steps, I could see his shadow down the hall, towards the other end of the stairs.

I could see his shadow staring back at me in wanting and I frowned, knowing I was in but a dream. But then I heard something smash onto the floor and I startled, waking up just half way through heading downstairs in the hallway.

I woke up under the heavy weather of tempest, of lightning, and of thunder, as the house cracked under the roaring and the anger of the weather outside. I could hear the sea raging for destruction and I wondered why the sound came out so strong, but as I stared at the hallway better, my eyes shifting between dream and reality, I could fathom that – through the brief crack of a lightning – the door to the entrance of the house was largely opened. I frowned hard and misunderstanding. It dawned at me that perhaps the door had not been properly locked, and that now someone may have entered the house without my knowledge.

And as the thoughts wondered aimlessly through the brain, it suddenly came to me that perhaps I should have been more careful regarding such matters. I came down slowly onto the stairs and shut the door behind me, to now thought whatsoever. Just then, I heard another object fall onto the floor and smash, in one of the upper rooms. It came from the direction where my wife's dormitory stood. Kayo!

How foolish I was!

I suddenly grabbed the cane in my hand and without any mid to the sudden pain I'd cause to my battered leg, I began jumping up on the stairs and heading for the direction to her room. As I came closer, the room now filled with things smashing across the floor and I heard a woman's sharp but short scream.

'Kayo!'

I pushed the door open easily, as it had already been crept loosen, when I came across a frightening scene, with a large black shadow pinning down my wife onto the bed, one knee in between her legs, crushing her down, as if she were some lifeless soul. Her hands were pushing the shadow against the chest, while the legs pressed against the knees forcedly locking it from furthering any more.

I could not say anything, while I rushed angrily to grab the fellow from up on my wife and I swung him sideways, so mind-blowing, it felt strange to have such power in my hands, yet the anger was to be thankful. The scene went blank in my mind and all I could see was the white shadow of my wife's night gown while she twisted backwards and crawling out from the bed, crashing onto the floor, breathing and sucking in air, as if she had been strangled. One hand she held at the neck while the other smashed the sheets from the bed in a desperate fist, while she crawled onto one of the corners of the room, as if she had been a battered child.

The cane fell onto the ground, but I felt power in my broken leg, angered that someone would do such shameless unforgiving thing to a woman who belonged to me. I frowned hard at the shadow now crawling upwards on his feet, while I thundered: 'Get the hell off from my wife! Who the hell are you?!'

And then this fellow just upped and screamed angered at me, before he pushed me to the side and I barricaded me onto the ground, throwing fists at me. He kept on growling and laughing at the same time, while I tried to fend off the fists, but he seemed to realize that I was in pain from my leg and kept pressing harder on it. The pain was unbearable now, so I shouted and gnashed at my teeth at the same time.

Yet, I heard heavy footsteps and someone crashed the man's face to the side with the cane and as he dropped to one side, so did Kayo who slipped off the slippery wooden floor and fell over the musical instrument she often played on with the large long strings. This time, the music was abrupt, broken, screaming as if it were a shadowy ghost of the past. For some reason, while the man came straight at her, she grabbed the cane, and drew out a thin blade from inside, so gracefully sizzling through the air, a blade of the old Japanese warriors and she aimed it at the man, before he stopped in the neck of time so as not to get his head cut off. Yet, she managed to swing the heavy blade until it bit from the man's cheek and then she dropped the sword on the floor and crawled over the koto, towards the wall. When she stretched her hand to grab the handle from the blade, the man crashed his hand over hers and she cried out suddenly, the instrument's protuberances slashing through her palm, the strings producing a strong, senseless music.

I managed to stand up and before the man grabbed my wife by her hands, I pushed him aside and crashed him onto the instrument, as he tripped, and cracked his neck against the wall. The hit was precise, noisy and forced the man onto the ground breathless in a slip of a second.

The storm carried on to throw lightning bolts through the sly and crack the clouds with thundering sound. But I now could hear myself breathing hand, while the woman stood at my feet unmoving. Her hands grabbed the strings and she did not move.

My hand stretched for the wall to regain my balance and I growled slowly.

'Kayo? It's alright now, sweetheart…'

I fell onto the floor, leaning against the bed, beside her and the koto, as she still stood there under the position of defense, locked between fright and despair.

My hands, after resting a little stretched gently towards her and grabbed her underarms to force her upwards. She clutched her hands against my shoulders and let herself crawl over the instrument and into my arms. She didn't seem to cry or say anything, but she had spams of either anger or shock, shame or guilt, I could not tell, but the woman would not cry. It took her a few minutes to regain balance and to begin pushing my arms away. She pushed so hard, she slipped away from my arms and wobbled back onto her feet without looking at the dead on the ground now.

'Get him out!'

'Sweetheart…'

'Get him out! Get him out! Out, I said!'

She slipped out from the room and leaned heavily against the railing from the staircase. 'Out!'

I stood up slowly, and I tried to hurry, so as not to let her do anything foolish, for she seemed quite unstable. Even the scene which I have witnessed, even now, it seemed to shameless, so desperately degrading, it angered me by the passing of moments, yet I could not let anger take the better of me, for I should have been the more rational one.

'Kayo, come here!'

I pushed the door shut behind me. 'Tonight we shall try and get some rest, but I swear that at the break of dawn, I shall have someone take him out. Come with me, woman.'

'Get him out from that room. Please take him out, you can't leave him there, the room'll stick of his reek.'

'Kayo, listen to me, you must calm down, it is over. Come with me. Now tell me, have you seen his face?'

'No, I don't want to speak of this.'

'It's alright, my dear, I know you do not, but I need to know.'

'Please don't make me remember, I don't want to.'

'Just tell me this, sweetheart, have you seen his face?'

'Please do not make me say it.'

I pressed my lips together and nodded. 'Very well. You needn't worry, all is well now and I promise you, Kayo, no one will harm you again.'

But I spoke as if nothing had any effect whatsoever. Although I locked the door to add an extra safety, there was no resting for this woman, for she no longer could sleep, yet she refused to listen, to be rational or so cry and shout, as any other woman would do under the circumstances. If anything, she kept calm, but shaking, her posture straight, but mind elsewhere, unable to rest any longer, unable to rest beside me, unable to feel comforted at my touching her, because she perhaps remembered the man's force upon her. She kept staring at the door or at the window towards the tempest and startling each time there would be a rumble through the clouds. I tried speaking to her, yet it felt strange, for I had never been placed under such position and it was difficult to find the right words. I was angered, confused and I was ashamed. Ashamed to have acted so slow, afraid to have been so undermined to think that I would keep this woman safe, ha di known better that the house itself was old, unsavory and wasted.

We kept quiet for a while, my hand over her bare shoulder, while she stood by the side of the bed staring onto the ground, at her red hands, a few scratches over the side of the palms. There was no point in lying to this person that everything would be alright, for she seemed to know beforehand what would happen, and she would tell that facts would be truly well or worse.

And as she stood by the bedside, my hand drew slowly across the front side of her shoulders, under her chin and I pressed her back bones against my chest slowly, firmly, so as to tell her that I would protect her, for she was mine and my wife, and this was my duty from the very beginning, since our wedding vows. But the truth was that the embrace showed the shame I felt for letting her down so easily, do desperately telling her that I had failed her and that I had been foolish to marry her without the slightest knowledge of her.

She refused the embrace, and could not stand still, so she stood up only to pass by a large human sized mirror and shout out once. When I stood up dropping my legs onto the floor slowly, she looked at me desperately. Over the side of her white nightgown, there was a large stain of blood and it still smeared across her breasts, either blood of her own or the man's.

'Take it off, Kayo, I will give you something in exchange.'

'N-no, I… th-there is no need.'

'Do not be foolish! By the bedside there is a small drawing, pull out a shirt and take it on instead. Come into bed afterwards.'

She pressed her hands against her chest. 'I c-can't…'

'Woman, listen to me, go by the drawer, and pull out a white shirt of mine! …That's fine, Kayo, now go behind the screen and take the night gown off.'

She drew the piece of clothing off in slip and threw it over the screen by the corner of the room, against the marvelous paintings of Oriental origin and she startled visibly when a lightning crashed across the surface of the night sky. She took on my shirt and buttoned it to the collar, before she came out. The shirt was long enough to cover her thighs close to her knees, but she was shy and unwanting, so it took her a few minutes to reach the bed and stand still.

'Come here, woman.'

'I…'

I could see the whiteness of the shirt and the blackness of her long hair, straying across her shoulder, streamingly, without an ounce of curl or waviness. 'I prefer it if you did not touch me.'

I breathed in. 'I will not touch you, Kayo, if you needn't me to. I will do as you please. If you need it, I will sleep in another room.'

'No, you may stay. I wish not to be alone.'

I said nothing, but nodded, and I stepped aside slowly from the bed so that she may have room to rest. But she slept for half an hour before she twisted and turned around and woke up, by the side of the bed, staring at the window, at the tempest and listening to the clock ticking time aside. I too did not shut an eye, yet I rested y back against her, unable to speak to her, unable to find the right words or to have her say something in return, unable to tell her that I felt her shame and her guilt and that I was much to be blamed for I had been lacking to take care of her properly, as man should of his wife. Only tonight have I realized the sanctity of marriage between two people, even if not in love, but bound by a sacred bond of mutual respect, a bond between protector and protected, yet the breaking of it all, as I realized I had been lacking the true will to come by this role.

12.

On the following day as soon Nancy came through the house, she realized that something had gone wrong, for the door to the entrance had been unlocked and the bolt twisted at the edge. I asked her that she return into town and fetch, a doctor and a police enforcement, for there had been an accident.

When she returned, she had come with a Mr. Foster, a policeman and Reverent Johnson had come all the same. The policeman had brought in a helper and they took out the body under my presence, but not that of my wife.

They had questioned her for a few minutes, during which she behaved bravely and composed, without knowledge of who the perpetrator was, yet as the break of dawn fell over her bedchamber and when I first came into the room to inspect the body, I realized it had been Mr. Connors.

I had asked Nancy not to look at the terrible sight, simply because I believed she too being a woman, would not have pretty dreams afterwards, but also for fear that she might tell the truth to my wife, a fact which I wished to hide away from her. This man had been in her house, he had stolen goods from her and yet she had kept him for help and as handyman in chores of servants, where Nancy could not be of use, but now having known that the same man had tried attacking her through the night, I thought it best not to tell.

Nancy had bene right to deem the fellow evil and mischievous, scheming and arrogant.

They took the body out from the chamber carrying it on a wooden plank, covered by a white sheet by the doctor and when they came by the hallway, Kayo came out from the study and kept her stance straight as she watched the body being carried out. The dead's hand slipped from off the undersheets and dangled along the side of the wooden plank, as it was carried out from the room.

Beside the woman, Reverent Johnson made the sign of the cross and startled. He had seen a small mark on the dead's middle finger and he must have recognized it.

'Most dreadful, my dear! I imagined you've gone through hell under the circumstances.'

'Quite the fellow, this character, to warm into the house unseen and enter the lady's chambers. Pardon my saying so, your ladyship. I believe it will be time that we move out from here. I thank you kindly for answering my questions. Perhaps the doctor should see you now, my lady, while I question your husband. We promise not to stay long.'

The policeman nodded in my direction and I agreed to have a few words with him.

My wife left with Mr. Foster to a different chamber and the policeman and the reverent followed me up to my own chamber. The room had been arranged as best as possible under the circumstances, but I could tell the priest was looking for something in particular, yet I could not say what it was.

'Now then, sir, pray tell me what exactly has happened.'

'I'm afraid the details are vague. I woke up in the middle of the night to find the front door open and sounds of glass breaking coming from my wife's chamber. When I opened the door, I found the basterd on top of my wife in the bed, so I threw him off from her. There was a struggle and the man slipped over my wife's musical instrument and cracked his neck. That's as simply put as possible. I think you'll find that Kayo spoke the very same thing.'

'Quite so, sir. Have you any idea who the man is? I take it you inspected the fellow's face before we arrived.'

'I did. And I know the fellow.'

Reverent Johnson startled at that and frowned. 'Oh, Good heavens! That is fine news!'

I frowned at me suspiciously, but agreed to concentrate only on the police man in front of me. 'Pray, sir, tell me who the man is.'

'The bloke's name is Connors. I'm afraid I can't give you his first name, but Reverent Johnson here, I expect, could help with that. The man worked on and off for my wife since before I arrived. I'll have you both not tell my wife, though. I don't wish to bring any further distress to her.'

'Fairly agreed, sir. I take it, then, the lady doesn't know.'

'No, and I'd like it if it stood this way.'

'Very well, sir, I shall tell my men to be careful about this in front of the Mrs. And you, Reverent sir, have you any knowledge of this Connors?'

'Y-yes, I do, uh, the man's name is Horace Connors. He is – was – forty years of age and a rather slippery-looking fellow, but good hearted, as I believed. We were both taken in by church, but he grew up wilder and took off various jobs before I agreed to help the man myself. I thought him a quiet, discreet young man, I should say. This distresses me very much, I can tell.'

I frowned hard at him, but when our eyes met, I cleared my throat intentionally and looked away.

'Mr. Chase? There was a kind of blade by the side of the body…'

'Yes, it belongs to my wife. I think it is inherited from her father. I used it for self-defense.'

'In the struggle, you say.'

'Yes.'

'Uh, but, sir, the lady said she used it instead. To cut the man's face.'

I frowned hard and stared at the policeman down, as I was taller than him. I assumed me a little imposing, because he shut his lips together. As much as Kayo wished to tell the truth, this would only make matters worse for her, so I assumed to bear all the guilt upon my shoulders alone. 'She is mistaken, sir. She could not have used the blade, because she was pinned to the floor by shock. Perhaps she thought of using it, but it was I who used it instead.'

'I see, sir. Very well then.'

The police office game me a card with his name on it. 'We will be on our way then, Mr. Chase. Thank you for answering my questions, and I thank your wife for doing the very same thing. May I say, she must have been a very brave woman, and a very composed at that, sir, to have answered my interrogation so calmly. Pardon my saying so, but Reverent Johnson tells me she was born in the land of the rising sun, where they teach children from a very young age to be brave and not shed a tear in public.'

'Perhaps they do, sir.'

They came into the hallway, where Kayo and Mr. Foster were waiting. My wife looked flushed, but calmed and there was red in her cheeks.

Everyone said their goodbyes and for a split second, we both breathed in relieved, to see everyone leaving. But the reverent had a few words of his own to speak to us and was hesitant at the beginning to say, before he asked that he see the lady alone. This annoyed me, so I demanded that whatever he had to say to the wife, he had to say to the husband.

'I begon your pardon, sir, but this is very private. And might I say, the whole business is fishy to me, and I demand that truth be spoken under the circumstances.'

'What it is, Reverent Johnson, that you need to say to Kayo, you will say it to the both of us.'

'With all do respect, Mr. Chase, you have been husband and wife for – what is it – three weeks in total and I suspect you knew less of your wife than you have known in the beginning. Whereas I have known the child since she was fourteen and I am entitled to give advice under such circumstances.'

'I hardly think the woman needs your counselling, father, she is of age after all.'

'I'll have you, Mr. Chase, not speak to me under such tone, you are not of these parts and I daresay you speak little of your origins. For all I care, you could be the sole survivor of a shipwreck out of sheer reason that you have been the perpetrator from the very start.'

'Excuse me…?'

'Pray, do not glance at me in this way, sir, you've understood me well. And under such tragic situation – for which I am grateful it had not been tragic enough – I must wonder, have I been wise to accept such a marriage?'

'What the hell do you mean?!'

'Your words are foul, Mr. Chase, please control yourself, I am a man of God. And since you so insist that we have the conversation with you present, then pray tell me, since you have been married, why do I hear now that the lady present and yourself have shared separate chambers? Were you not present at the time of the attack?'

'Of course I wasn't! If I was, then the basterd would not have made it this far!'

'Then, pray, tell me, why are a husband and a wife sharing separate rooms, when the bondage of marriage should bring both together? Is it how I have suspected, is it not?'

He stared frowning at Kayo who sat by the chair at her desk in her office, where we had retreated to have the chat. She looked away towards the surface of the table in front of her and she made no attempt to speak.

'It is, isn't it? You, Mr. Chase, have married this woman for sheer interest in her fortune and I suspect you make her unhappy, there is no possible scenery in which a couple is happy in marriage, if they agree to split the chambers.'

'I'll have you know, reverent, a man like you shouldn't talk like that.'

'And I'll have you know, Mr. Chase, that I know very little of you and that you have not brought any happiness into the house. The decision to marry this woman was very irrational and quick of you, almost to spite her into believing that there would be no need of any man to have her, because you will all the same. But I believe that, under the circumstances, when her life was as stake, you chose a coward's way to lie about the fighting and about the struggle. I know it was Kayo who used the blade, because you could not have known the object hid such a dangerous weapon! I have seen it when her father had it brought from Japan along with her belongings and I daresay you could not have wielded it so easily without cutting yourself as well.'

He breathed in angrily. 'You, sir, are a liar and a cheat and I suspected all along that you are a gold digger from the beginning. I daresay last night's struggle took place solely between this woman and her wrongdoer, while you stood quietly in your chambers, waiting for the right moment when she would befall, so that you can inherit her money. Is it not so, Mr. Chase?!'

'Reverent, you're overstepping the boundaries of common sense.'

'Is it not, Mr. Chase?!'

And suddenly, before I tried rephrasing so as to still sound polite, to combat the man's lies and ineptities, I heard Kayo fist down over the table once and we both looked at her.

'It is not true, sir, and I advise you to stop these lies before you spread them into town like all the other poison you've spread about my father and about this house throughout the years.'

'I have not spread any poison, Kayo, and you are well aware of it.'

'Do not speak to me in that condescending tone of voice, you, sir, are not my father! And I am not he! I may share the same blood, but the only relation to him that I have ever shared was the fortune he has left me with. You will cease speaking of my marriage, you will cease speaking to and of my husband in that manner and you will cease giving advice as to how I should be properly taken care of or not.'

'Kayo, has he forced you in any way? If the marriage has not been consumed, then we could have it nulled. There is no reason for you to tie your life to this man, if there is no respect or love in this house.'

'There has never been any such of these feelings in this house before, sir, and I daresay you've poisoned my father's mind enough not to ever let them walk in. You will not feed me the same medicine.'

'Kayo, you will not speak to me in this manner, you know that upon his deathbed, your father has left you under my care. I am your legal tutor and I have documents to prove these.'

'I am no longer bound by your strange relationship. I am this man's wife and you are the one to have wed us. That is the only relation we share now, sir.'

'But you are unhappy!'

'You've spoken ill of this man and it was unfair.'

'You do not share the same bed, he does not want you and I can tell that you two are unhappy. He has failed to protect you, and he is a gold digger, I can tell, he's married you for money!'

This time, I tried speaking again, but for some reason, my wife frowned harder and watched the man in front of her spitefully. There was fire in her eyes, as her eyes glowed with anger and when she breathed in, it felt as if the tempest was rising. 'Do you think, you silly man, that I would not know who the foul creature was from last night's event?! Do you think I would not know that he was the very same man you've so insisted on roaming about my house and steal about my things and watch me in that insolent selfish manner? Yes, I've used that blade to slash his face off and yes, I would have done so even better, had this man beside me not interfered and had not stopped me from committing a foolish insensitive gesture.'

She took a step towards the priest. 'But I know who he was and I know what he's done. I will hear his words as he growled them in my ears and I will see his shadow and the cut on his face as he pinned me down or battered my husband senselessly. Do not speak to me of protection, sly villain, you've brought in this house the very same man who has tried to make his way in between my legs last night!'

'Kayo!'

'Don't you dare correct me, sir, for I will bring my hand upon your cheek, when I should have done so since you've started speaking to my husband in that foul manner!'

'How dare you, that is no way for you to speak! Your father would be ashamed.'

'My father is Masamune and he would be ashamed to know that I have not cut that man down and that I have not cut you alongside with him. Now leave this place immediately and never come back! If God has many more like you, then I will have no god in this house.'

'Kayo!'

'Leave! Now! Nancy! Show this man out. Immediately! Take him by the arm if necessary. Take him out!'

'Why, how dare you!'

I took a step in between her and the priest, before he spat any of his venom at her. 'Reverent, I think it's time to leave. My wife's had enough of your presence.'

'I've done a great mistake, sir, in having marrying her to you. You've turned her into a demon, that is what you have, Mr. Chase, and I ensure you, the whole town will know.'

'I've turned her into a fine wife, if anything, reverent. One any man would be proud of, now I suggest you follow her advice before she sets worse curses upon you.'

'Shameful! Your father would be ashamed, Kayo! Ashamed!'

But as he spoke, he left the room and as soon as Nancy saw him out, I breathed in relieved, while I heard my wife crash onto the chair in a loud thud, as if the argument had weakened her considerably. I turned to face her and I watched her breath even, looking down, in a black gown and with her hair falling to the back, cuddled up in a low bun. She had attached from it a silver pin which she had brought in with her from Japan. Today she looked very tired, and worn-out, flushed, but charming. She had been brave and she had been strong. I daresay no one would bother us for a while from now on.

She breathed in delicately and raised her head up. 'What is it, Mr. Chase?'

'Nothing, Mrs. Chase. I stare at you and realize that perhaps I should thank you. You have stood up for your husband in front of a man of God. I think that should qualify as bravery.'

'Oh, the man was foul!' she waved off her hand flustered. 'He has tired me of the anger and the frustration. His words were untrue and they were filled with evil.'

'Kayo, you have not said a kind word directly to me since our marriage, yet now you have proven that you show respect. And I thank you for it.'

I breathed in and leaned against the table thoughtfully. 'But the man was right in some way. I have forced my way through marriage to you and I have not considered asking of it. For many, although they would not show, this would qualify as an act of rash and of scheming intentions.'

'You should not think much of this man's words, Mr. Chase. He has used them with my father, so as he could see me as lower than I was deemed. Yet, my father was a foolish gullible fellow with some goodness in his heart and he gave me all that I requested. I may not have had love or affection in the house, but I had the will and the means to do as I pleased. Mr. Dunn never forced me into anything and for this, I am thankful. Reverent Johnson is another tale which I will not speak of now, for the man has tired me enough. Suffice to say we shall have some peace and quiet in this house for a while.'

'Sir?' Nancy asked from the doorway and we both looked at her. She stared at us worried. 'Is everything alright?'

'It is, woman, and it will be for a while, I gather', I said smiling softly.

'Nancy?'

The women looked at one another slowly. 'Yes, Ma'am?'

'I, uhm, think you should change the sheets in the bedroom.'

'Yes, Ma'am.'

When Nancy left, I looked around the study and I saw the chest as locked as it was the first time I have spotted it. 'Maybe the house needs refurbishing, what say you, woman?'

'Excuse me?'

'Refurbishing, woman. Rearrangement. This house needs a new start. And if I may say so, you will need something to keep your mind off form the incident. I know you well enough, Kayo, to see that you are distressed. I'll not have you wasted, as I had at sea while on lost for the sea after the shipwreck. It's an experience I wish not to share with anyone or that any such person go through all the same. Especially you.'

She looked at me strangely, with coldness in her eyes at times, when I knew her less, but now the same look bore no iciness. If anything, she struggled to revise my words and turn them into facts or mental reconstructions. Looking at me like this, I started to think that she was quite a fine woman and that the children she would bear would be beautiful. There was an Oriental air about her, with her bright blue eyes, yet her straight black-raven hair streaming down over her shoulders, a few locks of hair here and here, as if she had been working hard up to this point to build something of her own, until I came along. Now, she would need to rethink everything through.

'I see what you mean, Mr. Chase. Make a house of our own. All this time, it has been my place and you have been a stranger to it, which is why the reverent had said those harsh words. But now it's time to move onto the next stage.'

'I didn't mean it like this, woman…'

'No, I take no offense. You will have a study of your own and you will share the orangery with me. There is no reason for me to consider this house my own. This place is mine as much as it is yours.'

'Now, Kayo, there's no need for you to go this far. And I needn't a study of my own or share any of the chamber in which you find yourself the best. I am content with my bedroom and the arrangement as it is.'

'No, you don't understand, you silly man. Come here, take a seat and listen.'

I smiled softly. 'I'll take those words as compliment, woman, it's been the first time since you've called me so directly. Now, I've taken a chair. Tell me what you mean, wife.'

'Shut the door first and say this to no one, please.'

'Very well.'

I stood up from the chair and I shut the door from the study behind me. When I turned around, my wife was by the large chest and she seemed to pry it open. There was an oddly large key to the strange Oriental locker, but she seemed to know very well their mechanisms together, for it took her a few minutes before she opened the lid.

'Come here, Mr. Chase. Indeed, everyone's been hauling at the fortune I've been left since my father's death, but the truth was that none of it belongs to him anymore. The fortune I withstand is that of my other father, the rounin who raised me and who sent me off to this place in hopes that I would have a better life, the life which he believed I should have deserved. I was raised to make little use of it, especially with a gambling father and another straying across the countryside in search for a master in need of soldiers. This is all the money I own, Mr. Chase.'

When she opened the lid, I found several golden-and-wooden sculptured boxes arranged inside, and a few silk-clothing, finely done, which meant that even the cloth was expensive. Each box as I could tell, was exquisitely done and well proportioned, and when she grabbed one of the boxes, and opened the delicate lid to it, she revealed several hundreds of oval-shaped thin looking coins which bore Japanese symbols on it.

'Kayo…'

'The amount is senseless to mention, but if you wish, I could buy you an entire ship, Mr. Chase, and you could always be its captain. Today or the day after today. But I will do no such thing, unless you wish it. The truth is, sir, I rather spend it wisely and for this matter, I will agree with you to refurbish the house and build it as if it were dwelled by a married couple and not two strangers.'

'Kayo, this is… I… I don't know what to say, woman!'

'You needn't say anything. This is as much yours as it is mine.'

I took her hand from the lid and pressed it so that she shut away the golden coins from sight. I looked at her gently. 'No, Kayo, this is all yours. This belonged to your father and now it belongs to you. If I ever need it, I will ask of it from you. I may share the same house and bed with you, wife, but this is a gift of yours alone.'

'But the money is important, is it not? And you wish to be a captain and set sail, do you not?'

'I do, but more importantly, sweetheart, is your well-being. You are my wife and I am bound to take care of you and protect you, tasks which I'll admit I have failed terribly with the course of the events last night. If anything, I should apologize to you, Kayo, and be a better husband. For this alone, I will concentrate on your well-being for a time. I've shifted my point of interest a long time ago.

'I don't understand you', she frowned and put the box inside the chest. 'I don't understand you all, Mr. Chase, what you mean and what you are trying to say. It is you who has suggested that we should rebuild the house.'

'Kayo, why do you feel the need to share your everything with me now? Until then, you have tried in various ways to show just how different we are and how it would be impossible to build a marriage with you.'

She rubbed her hands together and walked away a few steps. 'We are married, aren't we? Shouldn't I share?'

'You should have, starting a few weeks ago. Yet you do this now.'

'I have no explanation to give you, Mr. Chase. My mind is settled.'

And then she pushed down the lid and walked away towards the desk. 'I will ask Nancy to bring on a few men and we can start with rebuilding. I will concentrate on what we should keep and what we should not.'

'You will keep everything, Kayo, because you love every object from this house', I said harshly.

'But if there's something you hate…'

'There is nothing I hate. You may keep anything in the house. And if you wish it, you may start with the restructuring plans. As for the ship you claim you would be able to buy for me, I'll have you do no such thing. I will build my own path, if necessary.'

'Are you upset with me?'

I frowned at her, my hand over the doorknob. There were few things I wished to tell her at the time, but being upset with her was not one of them.

'I am not.'

I smiled to her before I left the room, but she spoke nothing in return.


	7. The Ship

13.

It had been a few days since the event that I had seen my wife make use of her musical instrument once more. She had it cleaned up and repaired where necessary and she had it moved from her music room to the room which she enjoyed so very much. I suspected that this had been because the French-style room was closer to her own chamber which was now being refurbished. She had to sleep elsewhere as well, so she had taken the room with the large view of the sea.

She had brought herself a small desk there and I'd find her writing down in those wretched Japanese symbols, which she undoubtedly knew and I could see she took a liking to writing from up to down, and from right to left. She never spoke of what she wrote, but her facial features were serene and calm, so I mistook her writings to a diary notice or perhaps creations of her mind, meant to keep her calm and to soothe her bad temper. I had never seen her write before, but I assumed she had done it before in the privacy of her study, under no public's eye. Now, perhaps she assumed it was time I knew her better.

She rarely asked me now to step outside from her privacy, so I spent at least half an hour a day with her even without uttering a word one to another. I would look at the various decorations in the room, the tempesting sea or the crashing waves and the coldness of the beach, while she would write, or play her music. And then we would play our little game of questioning and I would find out that sometimes spoke with herself out loud in Japanese, while she'd know that when I had been twenty, I had proposed the first time actually to a young woman much older than myself.

'I was a very spirited fellow back then', I told her rubbing my hands together. 'Maybe that is why she seemed to have decided to shift her feelings to another. It wasn't so appropriate to have a man marry a woman much older – and by definition, much wiser - than himself.'

'Did you love her?'

I did not respond to the second question as soon as expected. 'I'm not sure. I was twenty so I am inclined to say "Yes", but considering that at that time, the sea was much more loved, I should say "Only a little".'

I looked at her, how she stood with her back against me, playing at her music instrument. Her hands were wrapped in a thin layer of bandage from the scratching she had been produced since the night of the event, when she had been forced into the strings of the instrument by Connors. She could have received proper treatment from Mr. Foster, but she refused it, claiming that the scratches would wear off in a day or two. I suspected she wished to keep them as a reminder to her for some reason.

'Do you love this place, Kayo?'

'I'm afraid, Mr. Chase, you've overstepped the number of your questions today. The game is over.'

'I would like to know it today.'

She breathed in heavily and asked coldly: 'Do you mean to say if I love this country or the other? In this case, I should say I love there more than I love here. It is very peaceful and wild there, you could hardly see a person at days' distance. People there are poor and rich, as there are here, yet the difference is not so augmented.'

'Would you rather return to the place than stay here?'

'My place is where you are, for you are my husband, Mr. Chase. Where you go, I shall follow. It makes no difference to me.'

'I'm not asking you where your place should be, woman! I am asking you where you want to be!'

'I am fine where I am now.'

'What is it you actually want, Kayo?'

I stepped up on my feet, even though the battered leg still hurt. She too stood up and seemed to be surprised at the question. The playing of the music ceased. 'I am fine with what I have, Mr. Chase.'

'When is it that you are going to call me Christopher?'

'I will not do it, because it would show disrespect.'

'It shows that you care!' I frowned at her gently, but she seemed to look at me curiously.

'Is that how it is when you call me by my given name, sir? Because Reverent Johnson does the very same thing, and I doubt he's ever shared any affection toward me at all, if ever there was no fortune involved.'

'I am not like that wretched fellow! I'm not a gold digger, woman!'

'Oh, I know you are not, sir, this was a question of affection, not of marriage purpose. Do you care for me?'

'Of course I do, foolish woman!'

'No, sir, you do not understand. Let me put it this way: Do you love me?'

'What are these words, wife?'

'Mr. Chase, you have extended the number of your questions for today, so I am inclined to do the same. And I am asking you this: do you love me, yes or naught?'

I opened my mouth to speak, but before I did, my wife opened hers once more. 'May I remind you, sir you should not hesitate. Do not give me a foolish answer, for the question is part of the game, but it is much serious. You will think it through before answering and when you have the answer, you will come to say it. If you know the answer to this question, then perhaps I shall give you the answer to yours, as to what I want.'

'What is this game you are playing at, Kayo?'

'This is not a game, sir. You've started it when you have rushed into marriage. And we have gone through much together, now the rules have changed. I am aware of the change now, but are you?'

'What are you saying?'

'I am saying nothing further. But I shall expect an answer from you.'

By evening, we dined in separate rooms and she kept playing at her instrument for a great deal of the night before heading off to bed. I considered her words thoroughly, although I did no further thinking of the matter during the remainder of the day. I could hear the song as it was sung many a times, and I imagined this woman by the bedside, in my chamber, in her white gown, staring me down wanting. It felt strange to know that I had come to realize just how intimate we had become since we've married.

I had shown her protection in the way that I knew best and I may have failed, yet I knew for certain that my feelings for her were growing instead of shrinking. She was no beauty and she wasn't any delicate creature any husband would wish for. But she was brave, loyal and mind-speaking.

I understood only then the manner of her questioning when she had asked if I loved her. There was a difference between having someone as a dear friend, protective and understanding, and another business entirely to have a husband bent on loving his wife to the deepest of its feelings, and to the fullest of his wanting. For this was what this woman had been lacking throughout her lifetime. She had been taught to be prudent, kind-hearted, giving, yet suspicious, loyal and undeceiving, brave and vertical, honorable and careless, ignorant and arrogant at the very same time, but she had not been taught how to love. She had not been taught to share or to protect at the very same time; she had not known how to give and be given nothing in return. Her will was strong, however, and bent on being taught, so she tried to do such things by herself, unknowing whether they have been done well or unkind.

I took up the makeshift cane – which now I have learned, it hid a sharpest blade – and I stood up on my feet heavily, I walked up across the hall and I tried to search for the room. I reached it and I opened it, but the room was empty. Her bed was made and her instrument wrapped up.

I took a seat at her small desk and I had her notebook in front of me. I knew that even if I tried to open it, I would not understand a word, for her writing would be Oriental.

It took her a while to return and when she did, I heard her shoes down the hall and stopping by the entrance door. 'What are you doing here?'

I turned my head to look at her and saw that she wore a white night gown as the other on the night of the incident; atop, she wore her large silky coat, which I have heard her pronounce it haori. Her black hair was straying across her shoulders wavy, curless and she smelled of incense. She had been in her study.

She came inside the room and shut the door behind her. 'Sir?'

I stood up from the chair heavily, but I turned around to face her and I asked her to come to me. She refrained from executing at first, but looking sideways confused, she frowned and walked up prudently.

'I've come to give you my answer, woman.'

And with this, I brought up my healthy hand and I attempted to touch her cheek. She looked at it from the corner of her eyes and she frowned hard, but unmoved. Her skin was fine, ivory-like, but it was cold and firm. 'Before I do, however, I should consider giving you a proper kiss. I had been hasty and irrational during our wedding vows exchange. What say you, woman?'

She looked away a little embarrassed, and did not know whether to move away or not. there was a struggle of marriage vows inside her clutching against those of independency. 'I don't know. V-very well.'

'My sweet Kayo.'

I pressed my forehead against hers and while I noses touch, we looked at each other's eyes. This was as close as I could ever have been to this woman and for some reason, her corners from her mouth raised slowly, invisibly, but definite. I kissed her firmly, deeply, showing her that I cared and showing that I was in want.

When the kiss was done, my forehead still pressed against her and I kept my eyes shut. 'The answer is this: You are more important to me than anything in this world. My will is to love you and my aim is to make you happy.'

'Will you leave me?'

'Never.'

There was silence between us, as we unmoved, attached by the bondage through our foreheads and that of our unspoken conversation. I did not wish to hold her any closer, for fear that she would remember the evil night from before that thus I would end up hurting her. Instead, I waited for her to make a movement in return, but none came except for her pressing both her hands over my chest.

'Mr. Chase, I know I have not been a proper wife to you, but I will try to.'

Before she said anything, my arm wrapped around her shoulders and I enclosed her in a gentle embrace. 'You needn't worry, I'll wait as long as it takes.'

'No, I… I know what to do. I've been thinking of it for a time. And I wished to have the chance to tell you, yet I was uncertain. I did not know.'

'And now you do?'

'Yes, I… please give me time until a fortnight and I shall give you answer by then.'

'Very well, sweetheart.'

We parted from the embrace, and my hands shook with surprise at the sudden feeling of slender and beauty she emanated. The feeling was overwhelming, yet the will was strong. I walked up to the exit, when she called in return and said: 'Please stay.'

'Are you certain?'

'Yes. There is enough space in the bed for the both of us.'

She took the night robe form my shoulders and set it aside. She then helped me settle in bed, to one side, and after this, she came by from the other side, taking off her haori and settling beside my robe. She slipped under the sheets and came hesitantly towards me. I took no care to touch her, for I knew it was still difficult to her, after the event, but she slept to one side facing me, with her hand over my shoulder.

'I am very sorry to make you wait.'

'I am in no hurry, wife. If you feel I should leave, tell me so and I will.'

'I need you here with me.'

I twisted around slowly, screeching at my teeth, but I faced her now and my hand pressed against her cheek willingly. I gave her a kiss over the forehead and we shut our eyes.

14.

The days which followed were calm and welcoming, the weather changing for the better, while the tempests of the coming summer as away and as distant as the life I had had as a sailor before I had met the woman who would be my wife.

Kayo spent the better part of her time in the study or in the wide glass windowed room, where she would write down at her notebook, or open and close over and over again the chest of her fortune. By all means, she would make certain calculations of which I was not aware, yet, as promised, I gave her the time necessary for whatever she considered necessary, until the fortnight she had promised would reveal.

She had a plan of her own and at some point, she had asked Nancy to fetch her solicitor and they had discussed a certain personal matter over and over again. As her husband, I was now entitled to the opinion and the secrets of my wife's affairs, yet I wished to give her the liberty she required, for I knew that she would keep her promise to me and she would reveal what was necessary.

On the coming of the weekend, I took a long walk through the town and I have been looked at with both admiration and gossip, yet I could not care less. I had come with Nancy while she did the necessary supply purchase, and I to visit Mr. Foster. He did not seem aware of the brawl the reverent had had with my wife, but even when he was made aware of it, his opinion had no changed of myself and my wife. If anything, he assumed it a touch a bravery and of sheer independency to her part.

Liesl visited us along with her mother on the following day and I was pleasantly surprised to see that the trouble my wife had had with the reverent had not changed the opinion of her newly-done friends of her. If anything, when I gave Kayo the present she had been given by the child, her eyes glowed with something I had never seen before, yet I could tell that it was happiness. She was glad to have received a fine gift which she kept with her all the while, whenever necessary to change the room, carrying it with her.

She thanked Liesl personally, even though she smiled little and showed her feelings as less as possible, but the child by now had grown fonder to her teacher than before.

The time we spent together grew as well. After supper, we would each sit in the same room, as I would listen to her music and I would do some reading or explore the objects of a room, so Kayo would permit me to know the house better and make a mark of what was needed to change or not. we would sometimes play our former game of questioning, and we would grow knowledgeable of each other gradually.

When the fortnight came at last, she came into the wide-glassed windowed room, where I had been staying to watch out for the sea and embrace its restlessness with my eyes. She came in slowly and looked up at the sea as well, before I noticed her presence in the room.

'Kayo?'

'I've come to tell you of my plans. And I hope you will agree, for I believe there will be done much great to us both if you do.'

'What is it?'

She gave me a rolled-up piece of parchment which – when I opened – revealed a set of mathematical calculations. I frowned at them and she smiled little. 'I believe you will not understand these numbers, will you? I've done some calculations of my own. The fortune I own. Or rather we own. And before you argue with me on this once more, here is my proposition: would you not like to return on sea once more, for a year, to see the world and start a new life with me by your side?'

I frowned to her smiling confused. 'What are you saying, woman?'

She swallowed slowly and then she bent down beside the chair I sat on. 'I am saying that we should go on a journey by sea for a year to visit the world. And when we return, we shall be better, wiser and we shall return to face new changes. I thought it through thoroughly, and I believe it is what I need. I believe it is what you need as well. You're a man of the sea and you should not be tied to the ground, if you have no liking for it for the moment. So I propose that we set sail in a few months and see the world. I believe we need a change. And I think this would be an answer to it.'

'With what ship, sweetheart? I have none.'

'I have enough money to build you a fine one, but you would not have it. So I have spoken with my lawyer and he has given me the name of one which agreed to be bought. And we will under my name. in fact, I already have. I knew you would not agree to the settlement, so I took the liberty of doing it beforehand. Are you upset?'

There were a few minutes during which I stared at the sea and I felt confused, listening to her story, yet the feeling was understanding, for this woman beside me tried her best to give us both a chance and a new start as husband and wife, while I had struggled all this time to make her happy as finely as I knew best. She too had been concerned, and thanked her for that now, for I knew she too loved me as much as I loved her.

'I am not upset, woman. I could never be upset with you, for your happiness is my aim. If this is what you wish us to do, then we shall do it. But I would rather choose my men on board the ship, if you will have me as its captain.'

'Of course. I simply own the ship, but you are the one who will guide it. Do you think it a fine plan, Christopher?'

'Aye. It is a fine one, wife.'

She took my hand in hers slowly and looked up at me. 'Will you follow me to our bedroom chamber?'

I looked up wondering at her, but I slowly stood up and she helped me stand on my own two feet, before she slipped her arm against my waist and we walked out from the room.

'If you have agreed, then we should start preparations from the following week onwards. You may do as you please with this plan from now on. The ship is mine and I am yours, so in truth, it shall be your ship.'

'You are mine, wife?'

'I wish to be. Tonight.'

And then she took my hand and we walked up to the hallway towards the room we'd often shared together in sleeping and in having our private conversation. This time, her grip was stronger, warmer and more inviting.

The End


End file.
